Missing those Galaxie 500 albums? Low got too loud? Cowboy Junkies and Kristine Hersh nowhere to be found? Or, whatever happened to Kramer, the guy who fashioned the sound for some of these artists?
Well, Kramer is back in the producer's saddle for Emily Rodgers' second album "Two Years", and Emily is able to recall the great sounds of all those mentioned, and then some.
Actually, Kramer was involved in producing Emily's previous album, made actually not two, but six years ago, and this set is a continuation of that, Americana 4AD style sound. This time around, Kramer makes Emily sound like she's backed up by Calexico in a very atmospheric mood. The songs are given time to develop their atmosphere, there is not a single one that runs under four minutes, but Rodgers is able to pull them together with aplomb. First three tunes, "No Last Call", "Anyone" and "Hurt" give yo the essence of that atmosphere, while the title song picks up the pace just enough to give you an idea what a great combination would be if Galaxie 500 and Throwing Muses ever played together. One of the album's standouts. Any moment you might think that the proceedings might be drawn out too much, Emily and Kramer add another element to arrangments that make them work and pull the songs through. That is particularly true of the ever-present pedal steel guitar and strings, working a charm for songs like "The Right Lie". Just when you think the album is going to end in a true Americana style, since Rodgers is covering Neil Young's "I Believe In You", you get a little surprise. Emily and Kramer give it another 4AD treatment: as if the song was covered by Cocteau Twins. Interesting touch.
Worth your time, no matter how long the songs are.
