Martin Nilson - The Pumpkin
From the cold, baron place of Alaska shines a star so bright; Martin Nilson. From the depths of indie-rock music, Nilson sculpts impressive larger-than-life pieces that are complex and engaging. They are quite reminiscent of early Car Seat Headrest. The pumpkin, his second full length LP, was in his own words made in a rush: the music, however, is quality and well worth a listen. It trades fine-tuning for raw emotion and is well worth a listen.
That’s not to say it’s without its problems, though; as his lengthy pieces can be hit-or-miss. The riffs are always engaging, though sometimes they are dragged on for too long. At times the pieces feel incoherent, though this complaint is mostly directed towards the extremely lengthy opening song. The Revin opens with gorgeous synths and beautifully strummed strings; though the song often trades its warm, sombre moments with rough over-done rock opera moments. At times it works when there’s a contrast between the short, eloquent moments, though at times it feels too forced and abrasive. There are certainly moments of brilliance, such as the experimental portion halfway through the track, though they are never fleshed out quite as much as I’d like. Invincible sleep is a solid improvement; the twangy guitars are alluring, and the song has some great dynamics; the eccentric closing of the song is passionate and easy to listen to. Guitars is an extremely beautiful instrumental, and despite being so short and detracted from much of the album, stands as a highlight. The guitars are extremely lush, the mid-way dynamic shift is elegant and beautifully executed, and the overall mastering is on point. Moreover, the track is void of vocals, which Nilson consistently insists on injecting into every opportunity he can; when he does, it sadly gives the instruments less room to breathe and detracts from the atmosphere. If only Nilson focused more on tighter song dynamics and radiant atmospheres; this is where he shines the most. Unfortunately, Martin instead tends to focus on the rock-opera moments in Midwest, though the song is much more refined and boasts an impressive ending. Keyboards attempts to replicate the magic of Guitars, though sadly falls flat. Song For You is the highlight of the album; the finale is stunning and emotionally climatic, the vocals are polished and the lyrics are humbly idyllic. The song is followed by the solid pop song The Sky Wasn’t Large Enough, which is short and well-produced. Adventures in Japan closes the album in an overly bloated yet touching manner.
The Pumpkin is a solid record that may have been a bit too rushed and is perhaps at times a little too self-indulgent. Martin Nilson’s vision is ambitious, though can often feel forced. His song writing is extremely impressive, though needs much refinement. If I were to give any advice, it’s to focus more on the instrumentals; they are opulent and quite creative – let them speak for you.
Good
Listen to him here:
Martin Nilson - The Pumpkin
