Kill Rock Stars, 2005
Acquired: Love Garden, Used, 2007
Price: $6
There was a good solid year in college where I was obsessed with Laura Veirs. Like “I want to marry this woman” obsessed, that's how much I loved this album. A few years later this record still hits with the same impact. It's loaded with intricate instrumentation, perfectly placed string arrangements that never get in the way and Veirs' incredible vocal range. Hushed, haunted, fragile, and just gorgeous. You know what sucks though? The version of “Galaxies” on vinyl has a really REALLY stupid rap-breakdown that doesn't work at all. It's stupid, and it ruins the second best song on the record. The song that got me into the record! Effectively, the song I bought the record for what the fuck! Fortunately, there are plenty of other unfucked with jams that I still love. “Magnetized” is on my “Songs of the Decade” list, as it has always shaken me to my core every time I've heard it. There's a really great version where a French children's choir sings it that REALLY makes it haunting. Haunting, that's a word that keeps popping up. She's good at that. One awesome thing I never noticed though is that Karl Blau plays in Veirs' backing band! Notably bass, which I've always thought was fantastic, and he contributes backing vocals here and there, which is totally awesome. Fuck, the Pacific Northwest! Jealous of all these people, getting' to work together and all. Other jams include “Where Gravity is Dead,” the breezy “Cool Water,” and the best relationship-as-cave-exploring song ever, 'Spelunking.” Shit, all of these are good. EXCEPT that version of “Galaxies” with the hip-hop interlude. However, had it been Lil' Wayne, I might be down with that.
She has a Jodie Foster lisp! Never knew!
I searched "Laura Veirs galaxies rap" and found your post.
ReplyDeleteAnd I wholeheartedly agree with everything you just said. Found this new on Amazon for $20 (what!? I said, and ordered immediately).
At the same time, I never liked how Galaxies felt as the second track on the record. Sort of comes out of no where. I'd put it first. (And on vinyl, I'd skip it every time.)