Cotton Jones

Tall Hours in the Glowstream (Suicide Squeeze)

By BJ Hogendorn
Published: September 4th, 2010 | 7:00am

Tall Hours in the Glowstream is a contemplative blend of psychedelic, folk, and some country from Michael Nau (Page France’s founder and vocalist) and Whitney McGraw. It’s their second release on Seattle's Suicide Squeeze, the first, 2009's Paranoid Cocoon, being a relative success for the Maryland-based duo.

Paranoid Cocoon was subtle with a recognizable force that drew in listeners who appreciate simple psychedelia with repetitive lyrics and walking bass lines. Tall Hours, however, took those aspects and stripped them, creating a less produced feel for a more intricate album—after all, their bio does state this record is “both rich and charmingly lo-fi.” On upbeat tracks like "Song in Numbers," the spiraling reverberated harmonies, guitar, and percussion have an inviting in-house feel. Highlight "Somehow to Keep it Going" might be a B-side for any other artist, but perhaps that's the intended effect of a charmingly lo-fi album. Certain songs take lo-fi to a low point, but the album will grow on songsters who appreciate complicated simplicity.

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