Karl Blau
Beneath Waves
K Records

Records like this make me wish I were an actual writer. This isn't really the kind of record that would benefit from a cop-out review simply describing its sound. No, it seems Karl Blau would want me to let my mind go and just freely talk about what his music inspires. And oddly, as I wrote those words, the sun came out and my room got all bright, so now's there's no question.

Well, it reminds me in a lot of ways of Chris Hutelmyer. It's not as simple as this, but really he's the only other person I know around here that cares about K. And I don't get those other people. Anyway, Chris likes the sound of a trumpet. And the look of big red hair. And sometimes even non-sensical lyrics. These things are indeed quite child-like, and Beneath Waves is an album that requires you to be that way to really get it.

The more I listen to this album the more it reminds me of certain old things that I'd almost forgotten about. The way I used to feel riding around in Jon Morgon's car, for instance. It was a time when I was just discovering good music and there was this certain just, excited disbelief, I suppose, at what was really out there. I dunno, to me, it's extraordinary that Mr. Blau exists. "Do you remember the mountain?", he askes. I say "yes, I saw it yesterday evening and it was ancient and loving."

Copyright © 2006 Mateo Orillas