Palomar: All Things, Forests

I ran across Palomar's third album, the logically-titled Palomar III, as a recommendation while searching for something else on Amazon.com. The first two Palomar albums were largely comprised of a series of hyper bubblegum anthems interspersed with indie pop numbers that were often too clever for their own good. It was, on the whole, very good music with gobs of potential but both records were marred by a lack of focus and song keys that tended to bring the vocals into glass-shattering range. Palomar III found the band combining singer/guitarist/songwriter Rachel Warren's unique approach with British twee and the wistful vibes of some of the more introspective and leisurely paced Fastbacks selections to deliver a somber-toned gem that was one of the most original and inspiring records to reach these ears since the 90s. Warren had gained control of her voice and was focusing on her strengths as a songwriter, and they were impressive strengths indeed; her knack for extracting the essence of melancholia from a handful of guitar chords made the record. If Palomar III had weaknesses, they involved production and instrumentation that were at times a bit sparse, but these are minor complaints and in any case, the show was Warren's songwriting. The subsequent release of a digital only EP ( Palomar 3.5) confirmed the new direction; the release featured a newer and far better version of the pop anthem "Washington" (from the band's first LP) which served as a sort of exclamation point at the end of the sentence proclaiming Palomar's maturation.

The new Palomar LP, All Things, Forests, remarkably not only lives up to Palomar III but in many ways surpasses it. This time around the band better frames Warren's writing by delivering heart-wrenching harmonies and deceptively simple-sounding arrangements of the sort that can only be created by rolling up shirtsleeves and battening down some serious hatches to toil into the wee hours on more nights than not. Engineer/co-producer Britt Meyers returns displaying a more confident hand, moving away from the sometimes tinny Pro-Tools sound of Palomar III to create a recording that hits the listener immediately while revealing more on each subsequent listen.

But what ultimately makes All Things, Forests are Rachel Warren's brilliantly crafted, beautifully delivered songs; the kinds of songs that speak in ways that words can't; songs that chronicle the human condition through music and melody alone; songs like "Bury Me Closer," "Our Haunt," and "Woah!" that overflow with mournful melodies while bringing a smile to your face. The almost cinematic instrumental outros, the contributions of the rest of the band and producer, even the lyrics only sweeten the deal.

One last thing worth mentioning: All Things, Forests is sequenced extremely well: unexpected but undeniably logical. A collection of great songs is one thing, but when laid out as an actual album that ebbs and flows just right, it becomes something else entirely. Listen as "Surprise Us," an archetypal album-ender, is followed by "Alone," an even more perfect final song (and with a Morriconian-flavored intro to boot). Genius. Pick this one up pronto, sportsfans.