As far as 'stop-gaps' go this ones pretty damn impressive. Recorded as more of an experiment than a traditional album, sometime member of Efterklang and acoustic troubadour Peter Broderick decided to release this delicate collection of hushed, acoustic ballads after writing a collection of poems whilst recovering from knee surgery. He decided to put these poems to music without any of the electronic glitches and eccentricities which characterise his earlier work and the results are utterly bewitching. The opening 'Sideline' is a case in point as it consists of little else besides Brodericks spare, echoing voice (on it's lonesome for the first 2 minutes) and gentle piano chords which back up a lovelorn lamentation almost spiritual in execution, it's incredibly moving stuff.
Lyrically too the album frequently puts a lump in your throat, that Broderick can make the plight of a factory farmed chicken ("if I had a bigger brain I'd surely find a way to take my own life") on the exquisitely names 'Human Eyeballs On Toast' seem so heart-breaking and powerful is testament to his understated power. Vocally he recalls fellow acoustic misery-guts Mark Kozelek whilst the intricate guitar and piano patterns are pure Nick Drake but the air of reverence which hangs heavy over the entire record is entirely his own. At only 7 tracks and just over 30 minutes it's a brief listen but if anything that stops monotony setting in, though I couldn't imagine ever getting sick of any of these songs, there's not a duffer in sight. The closing 'Hello To Nils' comes close to taking it 'too far' but the battered electric guitar and forlorn repeated chorus refrain "I say goodbye too often" reign it in before it succumbs to tedium.
Instrumentally it's a sparse affair but Broderick fills the spaces with texture and melody instead of layers and as such even largely instrumental numbers such as 'Guilt's Tune' and 'When I'm Out' manage to sound engaging and full despite their slightness, in fact to add a vocal melody from either would detract from their otherworldly grace. These songs would sit quite comfortably on the soundtrack to any downcast american indie film as they are just gentle enough to float in the background without being unnoticeable. Who needs visuals when the music's this gorgeous though, How There Are is a thing of genuine subtle beauty and a perfect introduction to the works of Peter Broderick.
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