the microphones is a solo project of singer/songwriter phil elverum. not that it matters. it’s one of those albums where going into it blind is the way to go. funnily enough, reading anything about it can’t possibly prepare you for what you’re about to experience, so i’ll write about it anyway.
through an hour-long, 20-track journey, it feels like treading a path in a dark forest with nothing around to chase you but your own thoughts. the album does one thing really well: it reminds us of the terror of an individual’s inconsequential existence in the grand, all-encompassing beauty of nature. phil juxtaposes the great beauty and wonder of the external world with the—in comparison small—internal mental anguish he’s facing.
musically, the album sounds unlike anything else. it moves from instrumentals of seven clumsily played guitars layered on top of each other to noise rock riffs and ambient passages. every song feels like a small vignette into phil’s state of existence, complemented by layers of his raw vocals mixed in the strangest lo-fi ways imaginable. the vocals pan from ear to ear, with certain background vocals just a bit off-beat, adding anxiety and tension.
it establishes a sense of urgency through the destructive, rough parts of the album constantly at war with the beautiful folk passages. there is a sense of an internal struggle being built up, taking the listener through some form of catharsis and release by the end. none of the arrangements sound “perfect” musically, they are perfect, in the most human sense imaginable.
the journey feels lonely, leaving us heartbroken and lost, but not without glimpses of hope. it’s a soul-crushingly relatable portrayal of inner emptiness and a monumental work of introspection.
if you can’t tell by now, this is my favorite album of all time. it changed my life, and i hope it touches anyone who needs it just as much.
in the music critic sphere, pretentious losers love saying things like “it needs multiple listens! you just don’t get it!” well, this album doesn’t need multiple listens, it straight-up demands it—its sheer scope, complexity and weight will make it impossible to leave your mind.
