Magnet Mountain is the debut full length by
Burd Early, solo project of James Angelos. Eleven songs with simple,
thin arrangements and a voice that will, no doubt, invite comparisons of
Smog and Giant Sand.Too often, the home-recorded solo projects pride
themselves on their vulnerability, but the confidence of this cd is
rare. Not a confidence of difficulty, but one blinding white in its
own intemperate naked skin. Burd Early creates a sound weaned on the
roots of Americana, but certainly adept in the means of the modern (loops,
drum machines, keyboards).
Burd
Early is an island, the only light shining in the suburban night, singing
songs about simply living not just the loosing. These eleven songs are
reflective but with a sharp aim on the surrounding terrain, often skirting
prophetic and comedic within the same breath.
While some solo projects seem to be defined by the rooms they were
recorded in, Burd Early leaves enough space for the cattle to roam, the
hills to be mined, and the valleys to be flooded. Magnet Mountain
alludes to the expanse of our continent and at the same time the limits of
the individual. Though this may be bedroom pop, Burd Early's songs
were created with the windows open.
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