Wooden Wand : Harem of the Sundrum

I bought this album when it first came out, I think maybe based on review I read somewhere. Still, 10 years later, I occasionally pull it out for a listen. It is a lugubrious, spooky album that feels like it would be the soundtrack for a disturbing psychological-drama indie movie. I listened to it for the first time in a long time yesterday, and I woke up this morning with the lyrics for Sundrum Ladies still running through my head. It is musically uncomplicated; at times it's almost like listening to a poetry recital with a rhythmic backing. That doesn't make it any less compelling, though. For example, Neutral Milk Hotel is also not musically complicated but is extremely compelling because of the delivery, emotional impact, and lyrics. This is sort of like a slow-tempo equivalent. It is also good because it is very thematically consistent and holds together very well as an album.This is not something I listen to for one or two songs, but to play all the way through.

1 1/2Veering closely towards wake-and-bake demo recordings, rarely does this low lo-fi exploit numbingly repetitious posturing properly.

I purchased this album on a whim in that cool independent record store every college town has and was pleasantly surprised. The density of the lyrics force the listener into Toth's head, making this an awesome listen. The lo-fi production doesn't make itself overly obvious and "Leave Your Perch" is hooky in a way that sets an example for the rest of the tracks. Toth is a dylanesque lyricist with a voice that is easy to listen to. A good purchase for anyone willing to venture into some of the best post-rock out there