Brad Laner
Neighbor Singing
Hometapes, 2007
**** out of five
Brad Laner has been putting out music in various forms for over a quarter of a century now. His closest brush with fame probably came in the mid 1990s, when his band Medicine was loudly and uncomfortably shoehorned in with the dying embers of the dreaded shoegazing scene. If I had thought about it, I would have assumed at that point that Laner had retreated, possibly propping up some seedy bar and wondering why he given a single a stupidly prescient title like Never Click. Thus it came as a shock to me that, not only has he been consistently working hard on music, he has been heavily involved with musical entities that I have obliviously enjoyed time and time again.
His own projects include that aforementioned Medicine, as well as eclectic electronic project Electric Company. He has also appeared on a number of other artists’ releases, including Blinker the Star, Vetiver, Brian Eno and Caribou. With all this pedigree and cross-pollination then, it comes as a bit of a surprise that Neighbor Singing is Laner’s first solo album under his own moniker. It’s even more of a surprise that it’s a mellow and accessible recording, considering the dizzying array of styles and sounds invested within it.
If you listen carefully, the sounds of Laner’s career are all here, and it shows what an influential fellow he really is. It opens up with Find Out, an excellent fusion of Eight Miles High and So You Want to be a Rock and Roll Star that probably sets Roger McGuinn’s ears burning every time someone plays it. Here you can pick up traces of Caribou’s recent forays into pop-psychedelia, a wide-eyed sound that’s becoming all the rage among certain indie-kids. The next track, Out Cold begins with Vetiver-style folk musings, so much so that you almost expect Devendra Banhart himself to step into the picture. All of a sudden, the beat becomes electronic, recalling some of his remix work. Finally, a big, dirty Medicine guitar provides a break before diving back into the folk opus.
And that’s where the charm of Neighbor Singing lies: the sounds collide, ricochet and reconnect just at the point when you think the tangent is gone for good. Electronics abound along with backwards guitars, bongos and layered harmonies. It was recorded over the past few years, and as befits a home recording, there are some guest appearances from Laner’s son Julian on synth, train toy, and “baby vocals”. It’s an engaging, charming album, one which especially benefits from repeated listening on headphones.
It’s true we may not hear the name Brad Laner bandied about nearly often enough; he’s so busy selflessly collaborating with other artists and projects. However, with Neighbor Singing, here’s hoping that Laner will further distill the essence of those he’s inspired and those he’s been inspired by into more left-field, wonky, but assuredly reaffirming albums. The voice of my neighbor never sounded this good.
Review by Greg-Hood Morris
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