CD Reviews

Akron/Family

Love Is Simple | Young God

By MIKAEL WOOD | September 24, 2007

3.0 Stars

Already digested the latest from Devendra Banhart and Animal Collective and still hungry for more new freak-folk sounds? Check out the latest from Pennsylvania’s Akron/Family, who despite a lower buzz level might be a more impressive artistic accomplishment. In addition to making two full-lengths, the members of Akron/Family have spent the last few years backing up former Swans mastermind Michael Gira in the Angels of Light, and on Love Is Simple you can hear the knack for textural and instrumental detail they’ve honed playing somebody else’s tunes — “Don’t Be Afraid, You’re Already Dead,” for example, has gorgeous choral harmonies and sweet keyboard twinkles. But though several tracks creep past the seven-minute mark, this isn’t just a free-form jam — there’s some exceptional songwriting here. “Ed Is a Portal” transforms from a stomping space-folk throwdown into a jangly cosmic-country ballad, and the twisty-turny vocal melody in “I’ve Got Some Friends” evokes fond memories of Heavy Vegetable, Pinback guy Rob Crow’s old prog-pop combo. It’s heady stuff.

Topics: CD Reviews , Devendra Banhart, Michael Gira, Animal Collective, More

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