22° Halo – Bird Sanctuary
Similar artists: Far Caspian, Grandaddy, Low, Duster, The Radio Dept.
Genre: Lo-fi Rock, Indie Rock
It’s tempting to go looking for heroes among the great novelists, rock stars and adventurers. They did impressive things. They powered through difficult times, most likely. And they refused to be brought down by the kinds of things that help plunge most of us to our destruction. It’s natural to envy them.
But they’re sad bastards, the vast majority, at least. Unless they are young enough to have caught the modern health craze, the great writers almost certainly drank themselves into a stupor. The rockstars were so high that they barely managed to remember their lives enough to write autobiographies. And the adventurers rode their ships into icebergs.
It takes a different kind of talent to want to be an artist and also actively seek out happiness. 22° Halo’s “Bird Sanctuary” is music written from that perspective. This is not blissed-out, “the universe is just fine” music. No, this is an exercise in optimism set to a beat. It’s not a song of innocence. It’s music made by people seeking it out for the sake of their sanity and the benefit of their audiences.
Owen Barnell – there there
Similar artists: David Bowie, System Of A Down, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Radiohead
Genre: Indietronica, Alt Pop
Let’s face it! While few modern artistic movements have been as influential as rock’ n’ roll, there’s a flaw to it that can’t be overlooked. Essentially, this is music designed to be three minutes long, include a chorus, and never bother you again. Most musicians who make it are willing to accept this trade in the very early stages of their careers, But they become less willing to play this game as they mature.
Think of generational artists like David Bowie. By the time that he was ready to return and record his final two studio albums, the only indication he could think of giving to his producer and band was to play anything but rock n’ roll. That is to say that there’s a world of possibilities out there for the artists brave enough to step outside of conventional musical forms.
Owen Barnell’s “there there” is music that exists on the outskirts of modern pop and rock. It uses structure only as a way to start the journey. It makes use of common melodies only as a way to find something new. It treats songwriting as a journey to which there’s no fixed destination. That, along with all of the decisions regarding production and playing, helps make “there there” an interesting piece of modern alternative music.
