Music Review Monday: all boy/all girl – Tiny Iglesia

all boy/all girl – Tiny Iglesia

Times change, and sorry if that sounds redundant or trite, but it’s a truism that just work; it explains how we all perceive things around  us, forever intertwined with a universe that only constancy seems to be  remaining in a state of flux. This is a long-winded way  for me to say,”I remember when____.”

The time was the early to late 90’s, and the place was of course Brooklyn. Names got thrown around like Mos Def, The Notorious B.I.G, Talib Kweli, and the ever so omniscient Jay-Z, who was at the time a fledgling making a name for himself. It seemed that Brooklyn was not in need of quality artists as the borough seemed like the birth place of story-teller rappers. But as the 90’s faded into the dawn of the 00’s, something seemed to change, the spirit and creativity was still alive, however a different type of music made itself known. Names like: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The National, Mgmt, and Yeahsayer were growing, and people all over got to see another side of Brooklyn: the weird rock side. These weren’t run of the mill bar room rockers, they all seemed hell-bent on changing the sound of rock in general and did some rather odd and groundbreaking things at the time. And just like that, Brooklyn slowly becomes a hub for indie rockers. The universe threw a curve ball so to speak, and once again we stare directly into the face of constancy/change.  Now,  it is my opinion that the group  up for  review this week –all boy/all girl– who are “straight outta Brooklyn,” are amongst a similar ilk of new school indie rockers doing great things, and they have bestowed upon us their new LP Tiny Iglesia . So, be excited.

Not unlike their peers– The Eggs– all boy/all girl play an impressive blend of classical instruments, which are backed up with female fronted indie-pop; the combination works staggeringly well on Tiny Iglesia. The juxtaposition of modern and classical elements yields a rich, delicate sound only to be complimented with familiar pop inspired textures and play styles. Suffice to say these are adept musicians at work here and their love of music is displayed throughout the album. The group consists of: Danielle Lovier (vox/ukulele), Jessie Rogowski (vocals/guitar), Joshua Curry (guitars/vocals), Hannah Levinson (viola)Luke Krafka (cello), Nicholas Rahn( double bass), and Tyler Erickson (drums/percussion). And these seven artists crafted a melodic, airy, and heartfelt piece of work. Additional instruments such as: trombones, trumpets, and bongos add another layer to the densely arranged pieces.

With minimally named tracks such as: “Algorithm,” “fall,” “dirt,” and “animal”; it would appear that each of the songs on Tiny Igleisa seems to capture the essence of their respective titles. The track “summertime” shimmers with melodies from the ukulele accompanied by the violin playing softly in the background; the song almost evaporates from your speakers as water would off the surface of the pavement on a  beautiful summer day. Another one of my favorites is “Dirt” a slow ponderous and earthy sounding track; the song incorporates sparse percussion, nigh operatic vocals, and a slow tempo.The album doesn’t play as much as it seems to float and orbit around one’s senses . More could be said about each of the eleven songs but that would probably get old, plus its hard to characterize their overall sound in words alone.

All boy/all girl crafted an album that can and will be played from spring to winter. The mood of the music switches around a bit, but overall there is a positivity on display throughout that can be appreciated no matter the weather outside. Tiny Iglesia is subtly complex; the average listener can easily enjoy the music and the music theorists will find themselves rapt upon hearing the album as well. So, check out Tiny Iglesia and you too will be able to count your musical blessings: all eleven of them.

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Overall Score: 4.5/5

Favorite Tracks : Fall, Dirt, water, summertime, Algorithm

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