Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
| Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Silver Jews | ||||
| Released | 17 June 2008 | |||
| Recorded | Nashville and Lexington, VA, March 2007 - October 2007 [1] | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Length | 31:53 | |||
| Label | Drag City | |||
| Silver Jews chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Billboard | (?)[3] |
| Blender | [4] |
| musicOMH | [5] |
| Pitchfork Media | (6.7/10)[6] |
| PopMatters | (6/10)[7] |
| The Skinny | [8] |
| Spin | [9] |
| Uncut | [10] |
Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea is the sixth and final studio album by American indie rock band Silver Jews, released on 17 June 2008 on Drag City.[11] It was recorded at Marble Valley of Lexington, Virginia and Lake Fever Productions of Nashville, Tennessee.[1] Silver Jews records are known for featuring different casts of musicians. This album features the touring band of lead singer, David Berman, including his wife Cassie.[1] Berman has said that the album is "really different" compared to previous ones.[12]
Recording
In an interview with Pitchfork Media, Berman said that while recording he used a new guitar to influence a new mindset.[13] He wrote all of the songs before going into the studio, so that he could make sure each song took "into account its neighbors".[13] The vocals were not recorded until last, as he kept changing the lyrics and wanted to be able to edit them without having to re-record the entire song.[13] Berman went on to say that at the end of recording he wished he'd had more time to write, as there were still things he would have changed.[13] "What Is Not But Could Be If" was a 'totally different kind of writing' for Berman, and he compared it to bands that sang slogans and epigrammatic writing.[13]
Music
Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea has been described as one of the Silver Jews' 'lightest' albums.[14]
Track listing
All tracks written by David Berman, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What Is Not but Could Be If" | 3:08 | |
| 2. | "Aloysius, Bluegrass Drummer" | 1:54 | |
| 3. | "Suffering Jukebox" | 4:21 | |
| 4. | "My Pillow Is the Threshold" | 3:52 | |
| 5. | "Strange Victory, Strange Defeat" | 2:44 | |
| 6. | "Open Field" | Maher Shalal Hash Baz | 2:39 |
| 7. | "San Francisco B.C." | 6:15 | |
| 8. | "Candy Jail" | 2:30 | |
| 9. | "Party Barge" | 2:55 | |
| 10. | "We Could Be Looking for the Same Thing" | 3:35 | |
Total length: |
31:53 | ||
References
- 1 2 3 "'Lookout': Silver Jews Ready Sixth Album". Billboard.
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ Billboard review
- ↑ Blender review
- ↑ musicOMH review
- ↑ Pitchfork Media review
- ↑ PopMatters review
- ↑ The Skinny review
- ↑ Spin review
- ↑ Uncut review
- ↑ "Upcoming CD Releases". metacritic. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
- ↑ "Silver Jews Reveal Lookout Track list, 2008 Live Plans". Archived from the original on April 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Grayson Currin (2008-08-18). "Interview: Silver Jews". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
- ↑ Heather Phares. "Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-09-03.