I’m just now getting home well past midnight: tired, dreading being up again in seven hours, and feeling like I’ve accomplished nothing despite my hellishly long day. Lifting my spirits is no small task for anyone, so when I put on my newly arrived copy of the new Akron/Family record Love is Simple and immediately feel better about my life, I know something special is going on.
After a minute and a half of telling me to love everyone, Ed is a Portal comes on in all of it’s freak-folk, worldy goodness. A chant starts, followed by banjo, then a sitar, then it grows, the chant is now dozens strong, an African rhythym is established and then the whole band comes in. My pulse is quickening, the blood circulating again….and then the song actually starts.
Seven minutes later the song is over and I’m treated to a delicate ballad full of woodwinds, glockenspiels, and hushed vocal harmonies, they warn me to not be afraid, “Love is simple,”
they soaringly sing, and I realize that Ryan Vanderhoof is the head of the mostly excellently versatile band today. Over the course of the rest of the 56 minute epic I become immersed in psych-noise, chants, choir-esque choruses, and overall aesthetically moving songs. If this isn’t at the top of my best of list come December it sure will be close.
[mp3] Akron/Family – Ed is a Portal
Pre-order Love is Simple (out 9/18) at insound.
Akron/Family tour dates.
AMAZING