Wednesday's Emotional Setup: Message Personnel
This is one of those WES that just fell into my lap. I'm sitting here, about to go Xmas gift shopping with K. and trying to figure out what song to do. And Winamp throws up an old favourite.
I got Afterglow, Dot Allison's first album through the Ontarion when it came out, and I grabbed it because I'd loved 'Dirge' (off of Death In Vegas' The Contino Sessions album, featuring Allison on vocals, and possible WES material itself) and NME had liked Afterglow. It wound up having a really, really amazing EP in its depths but I coudln't get through about half of it. So I ripped the bits I liked, sold it, and moved on.
When I do that with records, there are usually a song or two that, when I hear them, make me think maybe I shouldn't have sold them. Sometimes this happens before I sell the album, so I go back and check, and, of course, the rest of the album is toss (Simian). Sometimes I buy the album back and wind up loving it all (Wu-Tang Clan). But mostly just feel wistful but don't actually do anything.
'Message Personnel' (and no, I don't know why that's the title) is one of those songs. From the second the backwards parts start up the song, I'm entranced. It's basically one big long chorus, multi-tracked Dots repeated phrases over a gorgeous, lush backdrop of backwards guitar(?) ebbing keyboards, simple drums and the odd piano. It feels sweeping and huge, and it goes on forever (actually 6:25) in a very good way. It's like a big warm duvet to burrow under, and it works beautifully late at night on headphones (one of my favored ways to experience music, certainly).
I haven't picked up Allison's second album yet, but every time 'Message Personnel' comes on, I come that much closer to doing so.
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I got Afterglow, Dot Allison's first album through the Ontarion when it came out, and I grabbed it because I'd loved 'Dirge' (off of Death In Vegas' The Contino Sessions album, featuring Allison on vocals, and possible WES material itself) and NME had liked Afterglow. It wound up having a really, really amazing EP in its depths but I coudln't get through about half of it. So I ripped the bits I liked, sold it, and moved on.
When I do that with records, there are usually a song or two that, when I hear them, make me think maybe I shouldn't have sold them. Sometimes this happens before I sell the album, so I go back and check, and, of course, the rest of the album is toss (Simian). Sometimes I buy the album back and wind up loving it all (Wu-Tang Clan). But mostly just feel wistful but don't actually do anything.
'Message Personnel' (and no, I don't know why that's the title) is one of those songs. From the second the backwards parts start up the song, I'm entranced. It's basically one big long chorus, multi-tracked Dots repeated phrases over a gorgeous, lush backdrop of backwards guitar(?) ebbing keyboards, simple drums and the odd piano. It feels sweeping and huge, and it goes on forever (actually 6:25) in a very good way. It's like a big warm duvet to burrow under, and it works beautifully late at night on headphones (one of my favored ways to experience music, certainly).
I haven't picked up Allison's second album yet, but every time 'Message Personnel' comes on, I come that much closer to doing so.
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