Whitney - Light Upon the Lake

Whitney
Light Upon the Lake
2016
Spotify

There is something so acutely satisfying about the debut from Chicago neo-folk group Whitney Light Upon the Lake. From the first moment you hear "No Woman" you get this warm all over feeling. This is the kind of music that we were probably meant to hear, it feels classic but never old, well worn but not ripped. Whitney, who feature the former guitarist of Smith Western and the former drummer from Unknown Mortal Orchestra, fully embrace their folkness and celebrate it. This is some straight up Americana music complete with the vinyl effect on much of the recordings. Almost throughout guitar flourishes drive the songs and arre often surrounded by light drums, deep bass and a cavalcade of strings, horns and piano for good measure. "The Falls" is driven by one piano line and it is just so very pleasing that you can't help but smile as the song unfolds. Their writing can often seem very basic, talking about riding around in cars with girls, but where in the hands of another group these lines might seem cringe worthy with Whitney they feel elevated and important. Their songs like much of folk music is just trying to sum up a moment, take a look at a piece of time rather than try to force a message down your throat.

Where a record like Sufjan Stevens' Carrie & Lowell came with a great deal of weight and emotion this record leaves that behind and on a track like "Golden Days" they are perfectly happy to ride out on some "nah nah nahs". What you need to be prepared for on this record however is the vocals, because honestly they are not ideal. Julien Ehrlich has a big affect on his voice which makes it sounds like it was record on a tape deck from years ago. The result is somewhat muddled, often awkward and a bit of a distraction from everything else in the song. For a great deal of the record Ehrlich's vocals don't even sync up well with the rest of the music which you can clearly hear on the title track "Light Upon the Lake". Unfortunately this becomes something you have to just get past in order to really enjoy the album. Even going back and reading what I just wrote makes me a bit uncomfotable, because just a millimeter pass that vocals is a record that is so full of life and beauty that I hesitate to put any kind of caveat on that. "Red Moon" is just under two minutes long but there is so much good stuff packed in so tightly, simply wow. Light Upon the Lake is one of those records that you remember for a long time, and it is one that you really cannot miss. So don't.

8.8 out of 10