antiMusic.com: Historian

Historian - Spiral Again

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Historian, Chris Karman's musical moniker, has been described as the lovechild of Leonard Cohen and Brian Eno. It's darn quiet, like a lot of Cohen music, for sure. This comparison only works if all you know about Eno are his ambient works. Nothing like "Baby's on Fire," or some of the more rambunctious U2 music Eno's produced. (By the way, "Could You Be?" is pretty darn ambient). He's said of the album Spiral Again, that It's "my attempt at capturing the feeling I get alone in the middle of the night."

"Another Chance" accurately accomplishes Karman's p.m. sonic goals, it's a nightmarish aural vision. Its music and vocals are slightly off-kilter, a little like the soundtrack to TV's Night Gallery. This song, in particular, imagines what Jesus and Mary Chain might sound like, had they decided to go all yacht rock on us. It's gentle but twisted.

Vocally, Karman sings a little like Mark Kozelek (of Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon fame). This subdued tone only intensifies this album's overall lonely, nighttime vibe.

Historian - Spiral Again
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