Typhoon is an Indie Rock band from Oregon who has been making their rounds for the past few years now. Now, recently I got recommended their 2010 "Hunger and Thirst" album and I really wasn't expecting too much. However, it's surprisingly a seriously decent album. At first, I sort of was indifferent towards a lot of the tunes here. But the use of strings and Jazz elements almost gave this album a theatrical feel. Some of the tracks even have a sort of southern flair, like "Happy People". Not to mention, Kyle Morton's singing was nothing sort of gigantic and passionate. Still, a few tracks here and there were a little one-dimensional, like "Ghost Train" and "Old Haunts (New Cities)". Not to mention, some of the tracks here didn't need to be nearly as drawn out. But still, there were enough good tunes on "Hunger and Thirst" to make this album stick out just enough. But I'll be honest, I honestly thought this was going to be a "one and done" sort of thing with Typhoon, and I certainly never thought I would appreciate their music as much again. However, their 2013 album "White Lighter" quite frankly is absolutely wonderful. The tracks on here were much more concise and well structured, and Typhoon continued to have such a wonderful energy. It was artsy and theatrical, and the instrumentals were much more intricate then Typhoon's earlier work. Fans of early Arcade Fire, check this album out! So it's been like 5 years since we've heard from Typhoon. And I'll be honest, these singles have been pulsating, artsier then ever, and incredibly epic. I'm excited to chat more about this, let's roll out!
This album starts off with "Wake", a bizarre and intensely dark intro. It almost reminds me of some bizarre monologue scrapped from the Dark Knight trilogy. But it's more than just that. These group chanted vocals are very unnerving, and the overall slow strumming and pacing of this tune are just so grim. Not to mention, Kyle Morton sounds so hushed in his performance, like he's trying desperately to keep quiet. When I first saw this album cover, the first thing I thought of was how unlike Typhoon it came off. Hell, it practically looks like a Metal album of sorts. But "Wake" certainly embodies that image, being so powerful and immensely quiet. It's packed with tons of emotion, almost reminding me of something from The Microphones "The Glow Pt.2". But when all of these instrumentals begin to slowly pile up, it gets near demonic, drawing more from Industrial Metal than anything. Obviously, this is far from heavy music, but it's just as heavy in theory and seriously VERY ear grabbing. Up next is "Rorschach", and with so many of these tunes, I really feel like Typhoon is keeping us on our toes. While this track, in theory, is a pretty straightforward Indie Tune, the very tense playing and noisy production do a really great job of making this very exciting. It's a very artsy tune, almost constantly breaking out a crafty lyric or a new instrumental if only for a few seconds. In a way, it's a whole lot like a Rorschach painting. So far I'm absolutely loving the very exciting feel to this album. Whenever an album really has me guessing what I'm going to hear next, that's a big plus. "Rorschach" is a triumphant tune, but it's also expertly crafted and fairly by the books. And I just LOVE the background chanted vocals that make the end of this tune so epic and grand. It's moments like this that tell me that Indie Rock is far from out of ideas. This album trudges forward with "Empiricist", and I have to give it to Typhoon, they really aren't letting up with this Cinematic sound at all. This isn't an instantly pleasing album, actually, a LOT of these tunes really take their runtime building up a big amount of tension. And guess what, that makes some of these 8 minute tracks a little rough to sit through. But "Empiricist" is still so worth it. It's a patient track, with Kyle once again sounding so hushed like he's desperately trying to keep quiet. But the hulking, grandiose instrumentals surrounding him refuse to keep quiet. I feel like what really impresses me the most, however, is just how cinematic these tracks come off. It's really sort of difficult to just pick out a certain instrumental that stands out, as a whole lot of these tracks are overflowing with personality. It literally almost comes off like I'm watching some gigantic Indie Rock Art film. "Empiricist" surprisingly eventually does pick up into one of the album's more straightforward tunes. There are elements of Jangle-Pop to Dream Pop, with it all coming off so lush despite being so grim. It's beautiful, epic, and really gives me hope for Indie Rock. The very slow, dreamy vibe of this album continues with "Algernon" which almost has a Noire sense to it. But this is the folkiest track here so far. And to be honest, it's a little underwhelming. Without the very bold, cinematic instrumentals to carry Typhoon, sadly their music isn't nearly as pronounced or genre-defining. "Algernon" doesn't even come off as the same band, just the opposite, it comes off as some cover that's modest at best. Now, I will give it this, I do love the storytelling aspects of this one lyrically. But I feel like everything about this track really does give me the exact opposite feeling. This isn't Indie Rock that gives me hope, it just brings me down. Now I hate to say it, but a lot of the more stripped down tunes on here like "Unusual" really does bring me down, which may or may not be their intention. I continue to dig some of the storytelling in the lyrics that continue to give this album a very cinematic feel, and some of the vocal harmonies here are quite nice as well. Even when this one eventually does pick up, I feel like Typhoon just come off so much more lifeless in atmospheres like this. I would be fine if this one at least had the same sort of bellowing, ominous sound of earlier tunes. But "Unusual" really doesn't sadly. Hell, the most interesting element we get here is the absolute Celtic meltdown of the second half, which quite frankly I'm more interested in than any of the rest of the track. It if was just that in a 3-minute blast, I might actually be interested in this tune. Then the last 40 seconds sounds like it came off of an early Alt-J demo. "Unusual" is bizarre, and could have been special, but took so long and ended up going nowhere.
The next leg of this massive album starts off with "Beachtowel", and oh boy it's another soft tune. At the very least though, this one actually comes off sincere and incredibly tender. On this one, the very minimal atmosphere actually comes off charming, almost reminding me of the early days of Perfume Genius. But this is the perfect example of what I was saying. "Beachtowel" has so much more emotion behind it, even though it's just as bare bones. The result is a truly charming ballad the likes of which I didn't think I would hear. On "Remember", Typhoon once again go for a much lighter start. But I can't deny how incredible Kyle's performance is on this one. Once again, he's barely singing above a whisper, but it's just so raw and emotional. Then, this one begins to really pick up into one of the more upbeat tunes we've heard in a while. That great, gigantic, seemingly endless cinematic vibe is back in full effect. I've said it before and I'll say it again, fans of early Arcade Fire are going to eat this up, even if it isn't as elegant. Everything about this one just works wonders, from it's crisp and anthemic solo to Kyle's very passionate performances. It's tracks like this that have so much charisma and personality. If they really trimmed down the fat on this album, this could have easily been a modern Indie classic. I'm not going to dwell too much on "Mansion", as it's just a sweet and quick tune that probably would have been a whole lot better if it was fleshed out. However, it works nicely as an interlude and helps the album flow nicely. On the other hand, the much more “open” and sunny feel of “Coverings” is welcomed after a long line of very tightly produced tunes. Now, I know Typhoon have like two dozen members, so I’m not exactly sure whose taking lead vocal duties. But it’s a nice switch up to hear these female vocals take over completely. It’s a very delicate tune, and not nearly as hulking as some of the album’s gigantic productions. But, it’s sweet and really beautiful and has plenty of the same sort of cinematic moments as well. Between the very tense chorus and the very elegant and refined verses, “Coverings” is done really well and has a ton to offer. It’s beautiful, but it also works in with just how Progressive this album has been so far. But these very stripped down folk ballads continue to be the album’s falling point with “Chiaroscuro”. Moments like this don’t even sound like Typhoon at all, just the opposite. They sound like any Joe Schmo Indie Band that’s completely faceless. Sure, it’s charming and sweet at times, and if you played this in an Urban Outfitters you’re damn right this would be eaten up. But for a late album track that’s surrounded by very lush and genuinely progressive tunes, this does nothing for me.
Thankfully, some of these later tracks really do hit home. “Darker” right off the bat really gives me the chills. I love the slow pacing and the very deep sound including the very small details in the sound effects. It’s a very somber tune once again, with almost an old-school Emo sense to it. But man, let me tell you, it’s powerful. We’re right back to Kyle sounding like some crazed preacher of sorts, but it’s a role he plays magnificently. The atmosphere is so tense on this one that when these later noisy guitars blast in it’s actually shocking. Overall I have nothing bad to say about this one. The pacing is great, the atmosphere is grim, this is just a brilliant cinematic Indie tune, which is what can be said about a LOT of this album. Once again though, “Bergeron” rolls up and I really don’t know who told these guys that they should be working with these very quiet folk tunes. They may not be the worst tunes in this style I’ve ever heard, but it’s just so faceless that it’s to the point where it’s depressing. Now, I will say this, the second half of this tune where those larger than life drums come blasting in do get quite epic, as well as those devastatingly crushing pianos. But I needed more elements like THAT and fewer moments exploring dime-a-dozen folk balladry. And while at first “Ariadne” doesn’t sound much better, Kyle’s very charismatic performance really carries this quiet intro. However, obviously, I’ve spoken too soon because this track really ends up exploding very quickly. If Typhoon is going to go for slower tunes, in every way THIS is the way to go for. I love just how slow and powerful this one is, with seemingly endless layers and wild instrumentation. Not to mention, Kyle just sounds so passionate about his vocal performance. In a way, I know I said this earlier, but more than anything this reminds me of almost “Neon Bible” era Arcade Fire, with these very hulking instrumentals at their core that are just so cautionary. There isn’t a single wasted moment on “Ariadne”, between emotional strings, determined guitars and intense drums. It’s moments like THIS that make this album work, even if it’s far from perfect. To be honest, I really sort of wish “Ariadne” was the finale. Because the half-assed dreary folk balladry of “Sleep” is doing absolutely nothing for me as an ending, let alone one that lumbers on for 13 minutes. I mean, literally nothing about this track stands out to me at all, and it’s a shame because so much of the rest of the album is just so fresh for the genre. Even later moments where some nice orchestrations come in, this track is absolutely lifeless. And then this track just sort of wallows in cliches for the last 8 minutes with only a few actually working. “Sleep” is a real bummer.
Rating: 7.6/10
Give A Listen To: “Rorschach”, “Beachtowel”, “Remember”, "Darker"
Genre: Indie Rock
Overall Thoughts: Typhoon has put together their biggest, and most epic album to date by far. It's a cinematic album filled with seemingly endless ideas, constantly shifting from one emotion to the next, with Typhoon backing their ideas with gigantic instrumentals. Needless to say, this album is absolutely epic in feel. However, some of the structuring to this album is really questionable, with some of these longer tunes being seriously hard to sit through. Not to mention, on the moments when some of the big production and big instrumentals are taken away, Typhoon sound so faceless. This album in parts is a real testament to just how much can be done with current Indie Rock. But when all the dazzling instrumentals are stripped away, this album doesn't nearly pack as much punch.
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