Norfolk and Western – The Gilded Age

Norfolk & Western
The Gilded Age

I have to admit that I’ve needed to keep the new Norfolk & Western album The Gilded Age percolating in my Itunes “To Review” playlist for quite awhile before taking a stab at giving it a review.

You see, I’ve been a huge fan of theirs (the band revolves around Adam Seltzer and Rachel Blumberg) and have been following their work since 2003 or so. The general feel to their music is, well, it is often “hushed” and introspective (small wonder they’re on the Hush label). And I LOVE this kind of stuff, and the band has never disappointed. They take porch rock and imbue it with all sorts of instruments like banjo, pedal steel, and strings. Long before the Decemberists hit it bigger with their carnival-like atmospherics, N&W were the band who filled that niche for me.

But with their latest album they completely deconstruct the folky notions that I’ve had about their music. And not surprisingly, it ends up working due to their musicianship and songwriting capabilities. I mean, the first song is called “Porch Destruction”. What do YOU think that’s about? They’ve definitely upped the rawer and distorted side of their music, though I’d argue that they’ve had that potential all along. I always felt they were more of a band with the dynamics of say Low, Red House Painters or Lambchop than straightahead folk music anyhow.

Interestingly, the music for “Porch Destruction” really reminds me of an old Sparklehorse song. And despite its name, the real fireworks don’t start until nearly halfway into the song and it’s tempered by strings and xylophone. The title track “A Gilded Age” starts out right away with distorted and delayed guitar fighting it out with a funny little banjo line.

“Watch The Days Slowly Fade” may be the track on the album that sounded the most different to me. The chords and melody remind me of Neil Young plus Matt Pond PA. This one really rocks out at times which was cool. The sound collage “There Are No Places Left For Us” is classic Norfolk and Western … it’s an instrumental intermission that’s almost like a creepy Russian radio broadcast.

The quick waltz “Clyde In New Orleans” gets pretty down and dirty like “Watch The Days”. But it also features those quirky horns, almost like a Lambchop song, but there’s also a crazy horn buildup like something off of late period Radiohead. “We Were All Saints” is more traditional rock with overdriven guitar and is again completely different from what you’d expect from Norfolk and Western. I mean, their earlier CD got classified as “Country” in my Itunes for crying out loud.

But the closer is the completely beautiful “A Voice For The Wall” which I almost feel is a sort of “peace offering”, as if to say “I know that this direction may have been a bit trying for those who are used to the old sound, so here’s a track that semi-harkens back to the old stuff.” Indeed, it definitely reminds me of their older stuff… but don’t get too comfortable with it because I don’t think N&W will be returning completely to their slower folk anytime soon.

Tracks:

A Gilded Age
Minor Daughter

Albums available on Itunes:

Dusk in Cold Parlours
The Gilded Age

Artist Website:

www.norfolkandwestern.org/

by Bryan