Voices and Organs – Orphanage / 2006 Western Vinyl / 18 Tracks / http://www.westernvinyl.com / [email protected] / Reviewed 03 June 2006

Voices and Organs start off their disc extremely slowly. The good thing about the opening to this disc is that the compositions are so dense that individuals will only be a minute or so into the disc and hear about five or six minutes worth of music. The multiple sets of vocals that meander around “Any Day Now” seem to be reluctant stars on the stage that Voices and Organs erects. The instrumentation is beautiful, stars twinkling against a black backdrop, but the vocals seem to underperform at times during the track. The band only crafts songs to a length that they feel the songs can be; this means that tracks like “Any Day Now” can pass over the five minute mark while “Trees Are Bending…” only take a few minutes to complete.

Something that is constant from the beginning of “Orphanage” is that Voices and Organs create a specific sound for their album. There is a slow, contemplative tempo to the disc that will grow on listeners as a mold grows on bread. This is not a fast process, but will make listeners stick with the disc for quite a few minutes before individuals can render an opinion. The production of this disc is very open-ended, with the acoustic-driven act sounding much more ghostly than if the production values meshed with what is popular. This different approach to production puts the band into a completely different light, and dare I say it actually makes the disc much more enjoyable. The inclusion of an accordion during “Staircase, Attic and Out The Window” keeps things interesting. Voices and Organs take an hour of time from individuals and create an album that talks with all facets of society.

This is what a proper theme album should attempt to do, and Voices and Organs do this perfectly. The use of ambient sounds to create a fuller atmosphere for the disc is a visionary move, and one that individuals do not necessarily attempt quite as much as they should. “Orphanage” is not quite what individuals would think it is; instead of just being a clearing house for whatever Voices and Organs could not commit to previous recordings, it is honestly one of the most cohesive albums of this year. Voices and Organs make their voice on this album, and by the end of the disc individuals will be clamoring for more. Give it a go.

Top Tracks: Reaching for Trees in Dreams, Nestlings

Rating: 6.8/10

[JMcQ]