Making albums about every continent of the world? Sounds a bit too ambitious and pretentious, doesn't it? Actually, it depends on who does it and how they do it. After all, Sufjan Stevens promised that he will do an album about each of the fifty US states, as far as I count, there are only two so far, both great, mind you.
So if you hear that a relatively unknown band called The Anatomy of Frank (a clever word play, though, I must say) is making a series of albums about every continent on Earth, it doesn't inspire too much confidence in a casual listener or somebody who is not familiar with the band. And not many are. After all, they have only one previous album, and it is actually the first in the 'world series' - North America. So here we have the second in a series, and logically, it is South America.
Not having heard the stories from the previous continent, I had no idea what to expect. The fear was that a relatively unknown trio from Virginia can simply fall under the weight of ambition and possibly political and social comments. Luckily, nothing like that to be found in music and lyrics on this album. Actually, it is a set of very personal observations, only inspired by South America itself. The added sense of presence was the fact that the album was recorded in just a bit over a month in the mountains of Ecuador. And I must say that Kyle Woolard and his two buddies came completely unscathed from any grand ideas.
South America turns out to be a triumph of mostly mellow acoustic music, with some interesting rocking sounds added for good measure. Filled with intricate melodies and arrangements (try "Patagonia"), Woolard is not your 'standard' singer/songwriter that wears his heart on the sleeve, but a guy who has astute observations which he can express with beautiful imagery. If Paul Simon comes to mind, he should, because Woolard has the same knack for a great melody, harmony, and lyrics. And he is no Simon imitator.
If some song titles here might sound familiar, actually being absolutely the same as some other famous songs ("The Girl From Ipanema"), don't be either too happy or too unhappy, depending on your stance towards the Jobim classic. Woolard plays yet another smart, gentle and astute trick since the song has no musical connection to the original, but boasts some of the best lyrics on the album (although it would be hard to pick them):
the favela looks like an avalanche happened
crumbled and come to rest
down the mountain
it’s a lovely view with some morning mist
and for a photo to show my friends
I’m an activist
maybe I am, maybe
the girl from Ipanema goes walking
she holds her phone away
from her ear when she’s talking
and she sees me, and assumes
that I want to give it to her
just like every other guy
maybe I do, maybe
– "The Girl from Ipanema", The Anatomy of Frank
But trying to pick a favorite on an album that is so uniform in the quality it presents is actually an unnecessary task. The Anatomy of Frank obviously did good in the rarified air of Ecuadorean mountains. So this is the second installment. Sufjan Stevens has been at his number two for a few years now (48 states to go). Woolard and the guys don't have that many continents to go through, but based on the evidence what they have presented us with here, they should definitely keep on going, and soon at that.
