ILLUMINATIONS
SEE-SAW
SEE-SAW LP cover*
Design by Ryan Johnson
Illuminations (2008)
Photo by Ryan Johnson
Incorporating elements of blues, country, punk and pop, and with an emphasis on traditional songs, SEE-SAW falls into what Gram Parsons had called “cosmic American music”. Accordingly, it lies somewhere between the country-soul of Big Star and the punk spirit of The Wipers. Recorded in a basement on an 8 track reel to reel, and later mixed at Seaside Lounge in Brooklyn, it’s anthemic yet warmly modest. The drums, though straightforward and minimal, are a solid rallying cry. The bass is both warm and soulful. The guitars are twisted American hybrids, shifting from a bluesy jangle to a dark sound-fix, like Chuck Berry or Tom Verlaine playing to the sound of a jet crashing, or the springs of a clock snapping apart. The piano and organ add cool melodic counterpoints, bringing calm to chaos. The lyrics are spun out of rich phrases, crowded with protagonists that rise and fall on opposite ends of the great fulcrum of luck. Zachary Cale's vocal delivery is wrenching, both crooner-like and raw. The end result is an enigmatic album that is both familiar and foreign; one that wears the suit of American rock & roll, but broadcasts anthems from another universe.
“The new release from Brooklyn’s Illuminations, SEE-SAW, is a nice surprise: the easy-rolling melody of ‘60s radio pop, is enlivened by dark guitar chords and icy keyboard washes.” -Time Out NY
“SEE-SAW is the best album I’ve reviewed for Still Single, hands-down.” -Andrew Earles (Still Single - Dusted Magazine)
“They deliver genuine pop songs through grand gestures.” -Kevin J. Elliott (Primitive Futures - The Agit Reader)
CATALOG: AHE-01
UPC: 881626918128
LP edition of 600
RELEASE DATE:
September 1, 2008
US DISTRIBUTION:
Matador Direct
Fusetron
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ARTIST CONTACT:
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Tracks:
1. No Hello
3. Collect Calls
4. Laundry List
5. I Don’t Know What to Tell You Baby
6. New Truth
7. Clothesline Kisses
8. We All Say Goodnight
