Consorting With Celebs

Consortium "Harper's Ferry"

Consortium "The Angel of the Nanjing Bridge"

[right click to download, ctrl or option click if yr a mac!]

I've talked about Consortium before, but they've grown up a little since then. Their newest record, Potomac And Shenandoah, is a full blown concept album. Concept albums and intricate instrumentation go hand in hand, so this record is a big new step in that direction. But the songwriting has matured a great deal as well, songs like "Harper's Ferry" remind me what Belle And Sebastian might do if they stopped acting so damn cute.

Don't get it confused with some big pretentious rock record like say, everything Bright Eyes has ever recorded though. There are pop rock gems in here as well. "The Angel of the Nanjing Bridge" and "Thirteen Elegies" stand up proudly in the hard light of the Springsteen canon, and other tracks bring to mind the latest offerings of the Decemberists. "The Angel of the Nanjing Bridge", contrary to what you may think, is NOT about that movie Volunteers.

I mention all these other bands because I know all of them, and we do things together all the time. Just this past weekend Springsteen, Belle And Sebastian, and the Decemberists all came over to the crib to play NHL2K7 on the Playstation and drink mimosas. Bright Eyes wasn't invited.

Like he'd come anyway.