ALBUM REVIEW! Beyond Beyond Beyond - The Crane Wives
Today I listened to Beyond Beyond Beyond by The Crane Wives!
Album Name: Beyond Beyond Beyond
Artist: The Crane Wives
Genre: folk/indie rock
Release: 2024
Highlights: Black Hole Fantasy, Red Clay, Say It
Lead Single: Arcturus Beaming
My Favorite: Black Hole Fantasy
Thoughts: This is the first time that I think an album's second half drew me in more than the first. It may be because most of the album's singles are in the first half, so the first part felt familiar whereas the second felt revelationary. It was a top-tier album all around, but everything from "Arcturus Beaming" forward was simply magical.
The inclusion of orchestral string instruments in Black Hole Fantasy and Higher Ground really lent to the magical feel of the album and fascinated me, as it's new ground sonically for the Crane Wives. I was also shocked by Red Clay, a song that the band's drummer/vocalist Dan Rickabus takes lead vocals on. As far as I'm aware, he has never sung lead on a Crane Wives song, so I was stoked to hear his lovely voice front and center.
Now what I REALLY want to ramble about is Black Hole Fantasy. It's the band's longest song ever at six minutes and thirty-five seconds, and it is a true lyrical journey that I could write an entire essay about. The narrative lyrics that occupy most of the song are simple, yet gut-wrenching -- like we're looking directly into the speaker's mind. The storylike nature of the song prevents it from feeling too long, in my opinion -- every verse is different and surprising musically and lyrically, keeping it from feeling stagnant at any point. The dropoff of instrumentation in the lines "Let's do this again" and "I'm turning off the car" puts such a satisfying emphasis on these two narratively impactful lines.
This entire album, lyrically, is extremely introspective and thoughtful, and after I've had some time to look at the lyrics, I'll definitely be posting my thoughts and interpretations of songs like Predator, Time Will Change You, River Rushing, and, of course, Black Hole Fantasy.
I was lucky enough to hear Bitter Medicine, Say It, Scars, and Arcturus Beaming at a live show earlier this year, so I can attest to their wonderful energy performed live. I'm so jealous of everyone who's able to attend this album release tour!
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