Light Upon the Lake [LP]

by Whitney, Charles Glanders

Overview

Light Upon the Lake is the moseying debut album of Whitney, a septet built around the core songwriting team of Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek, both formerly of Smith Westerns. Often surprisingly intimate for a seven-piece, the group makes subtle use of instrumentation like brass and strings to flesh out without symphonizing their country-tinged indie pop. The melancholy opener, "No Woman," begins with cushiony keyboards and a short brass fanfare before Ehrlich -- who doubles as the band's lead singer and drummer -- introduces his misty, double-tracked falsetto. He appears alongside strummed acoustic guitar with lyrics like "I've been going through a change/I might never be sure/I'm just walking in a haze." A melodic electric-guitar cadence and atmospheric strings contribute to a mostly instrumental chorus that seems to leave the storyteller alone to regroup. Later, the title track also makes use of elegant guitar lines and those double-tracked vocals for a brisker but still affecting, angst-ridden query. Other more uptempo songs come with livelier arrangements and brighter dispositions, such as the appropriately summery "Golden Days" and the twangy, heartening "No Matter Where We Go." The album wades into jam band territory on occasion, but for the most part hovers between a singer/songwriter-friendly indie rock club and somewhere on the dial of '70s AM radio. It proves a pretty comforting place to be. Including Light Upon the Lake's one jaunty instrumental ("Red Moon"), the 30-minute set of ten tunes will leave many wanting more, an auspicious trait for an otherwise satisfying debut. ~ Marcy Donelson

Product Details

Release Date:	06/03/2016
Label:	Secretly Canadian
UPC:	0656605033716
Rank:	26308

Tracks

1. No Woman
2. The Falls
3. Golden Days
4. Dave's Song
5. Light Upon the Lake
6. No Matter Where We Go
7. On My Own
8. Red Moon
9. Polly
10. Follow

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Whitney   Primary Artist
Charles Glanders   Primary Artist
Malcolm Brown   Keyboards
Max Kakacek   Lead Guitar
Julien Ehrlich   Drums,Lead Vocals
Tracy Chouteau   Guitar (Rhythm)
Josiah Marshall   Bass
Will Miller   Horn

Technical Credits

D. James Goodwin   Mixing
Malcolm Brown   Group Member
Sandy Kim   Photography
Joe LaPorta   Mastering
Miles Johnson   Design,Art Direction
Max Kakacek   Group Member
Julien Ehrlich   Group Member
Jonathan Rado   Musician,Producer
Macie Stewart   Musician
Jacob Portrait   Mixing
Whitney   Mixing,Producer
Myra Hinrichs   Musician
Tracy Chouteau   Group Member
Charles Glanders   Group Member
Josiah Marshall   Group Member
Ziyad Asrar   Musician
Will Miller   Group Member
Jake Portrait   Mixing