You might expect something quiet and sentimental from this album given its cover: the title and band name handwritten on an old photograph, à la Sufjan Stevens’ Carrie and Lowell. The fact that the word “confessions” doesn’t even fit in the space they wrote it and has to be segmented as “confess-ions” on two lines is a charming detail that adds to an overall homemade vibe. Moreover, it’s a clear departure from the quirky illustrations that cover their debut 2017 project Through Human Eyes and their follow-up live album Live at Vinyl. But this assumption of quiet would be wrong, as Blue Moon Confessions delivers a baffling amount of stylistic range and technical prowess. There are certainly bits of that sentimentality here and there, but it is all-around a demonstration of immense skill and passion that stands to delight any listener.
The first song, titled “Come Back,” signals some of the group’s many influences like R.E.M. and Phish. It’s a soft rock track at its core, backed by organs for a nice twist. These elements continue onto the second track “Lost In The Breeze,” another delightful organ-bolstered song that almost feels reminiscent of acts like The Doors. That said, just as you start to settle into something familiar, the song enters a peculiar B-section— it’s not too far away from the rest of the song, but it’s distinct and starts to show a willingness to shirk popular song structure in favor of something cool.
To make one thing clear: there is nothing wrong with music that is simple and accessible. There is definite value in a four-chord song that you can learn online in half an hour and play for your friends. That said, the album truly begins to stretch into something different and incredible at the third song: “Neighbor Take Flight.” Opening with excellent drums and intriguing licks played in unison by the other instruments, this song becomes a tour de force of jazz fusion and masterful guitar. There isn’t a single lyric, but your attention won’t dissipate across the five and a half minutes all the same. The chords are textured and change rapidly, a sense of urgency maintained by the cymbal rich drums behind it all. Once again, this track is beyond impressive and practically came out of nowhere.
The interest in stylistic variation continues on “Cheyenne,” a title that connotes a cowboy vagabond atmosphere and instrumentation that does the same. We find the same great rhythm guitar we’ve seen on previous songs, but for added detail, the band introduces parts for a pedal steel guitar and a violin. As lush as the production may be, the lyrics stay quiet and powerful for contrast.
One of this album’s many strengths is its willingness to try something new, even as they succeed with their previous ideas. After exploring gentle rock, jazz, and cowboy folk in such a short time, we then get to enjoy the funky flourishes and chromatic modulations of “Some Kind Of Life,” pop rock akin to Phil Collins on “Sum’a Baby,” and even some reggae-inspired rhythm on songs like “Tower of Hope, Crashing.” “Sendoff 14” returns to some of the soft rock influence the album started with, making for a wonderful ballad complete with a glorious key change for added emotion near the end.
But if you were worried the experimentation was ending, worry not. “Blue Eyed Ram” is perhaps the strangest song on the album— and that is nothing but a good thing. It’s defined by drums that have been reversed, making for a compelling and uncanny shuffle. The vocals are pitched down and we hear lots of echo-y digital sounds in the background. It feels like it’s being recorded in a big cave.
Halem Albright is, himself, the frontman of the group (as the band name suggests), and while everyone in the band is fantastic at what they do, his vocals and lyrics add a lot in their own right. Now and then he’ll add something extra to his delivery for added texture, like doubling his vocals an octave lower on a song or adding a Julian Casablancas-esque radio filter on another. The second to last song, simply titled “God,” demonstrates his vocal talent clearly: every element is strong enough not to have to rely on the others. It’s a simple song, led by acoustic guitar like something someone could play around a campfire. It’s equally engaging without the technical flair, and that is exactly the point: just like they don’t have to rely on simple patterns and can opt for theory-rich luxury, they don’t have to rely on headiness and can tone things down for emotion’s sake.
Written by Oren Schube
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