Review Summary: A different take on an assortment of associated genres
I’ve been a smoker for almost 5 years now. Nothing too special, about 2 or 3 packs a week depending on the mood; always sticking to either Winston or Marlboro Reds. Recently I have begun trying out flavored tobacco instead of brand-cigarettes. It comes a little weird at first; the tastes aren’t the same and rolling tobacco becomes a little troublesome. The thing is though; I think I’ve become rather used to flavored tobacco. There is a multitude of different flavors to try, ranging from mocha, chocolate or even creamy butterscotch and better still, they smell great. Now If you have not yet pieced the analogy then allow me: Little Tybee comes across like flavored tobacco; what they present with their music is not so much a conventional representation of any of the particular genres that they get associated with (indeed it is a little tricky to pin Little Tybee down to a genre) but rather different perspectives on different kinds of genres throughout For Distant Viewing.
Take the song “Hearing Blue” for example, the first 45 seconds of which includes some hand-clapping, a sprinkle of percussion, a keyboard line, and oh lest we forget, some tapping from lead guitarist Josh Martin’s 8-string guitar. Now this alone should raise a few eyebrows given that Little Tybee have been considered with some regard as a folk-rock band but what makes it so intriguing is that unlike other folk-artists who also make use of unorthodox guitar techniques in the same genre (I’m thinking Maps & Atlases here) the music as a whole is not really centered on the guitar itself. In fact, it would be hard to point out one single instrument in Little Tybee’s arsenal that monopolizes their sound.
Indeed, the overall sound and its presentation should be the main focus here and Little Tybee does this in spades, setting a dreamy/pretty backdrop throughout For Distant Viewing. Tracks like “Fantastic Planet” and “Jury Duty” are noticeable examples, with the former being a slowly sweeping instrumental piece that carves out gorgeous aural soundscapes and the latter a more folksy tune. The strings provided by Nirvana Kelly shine in songs like the slightly jazzy “Left-Right” and lead vocalist Scott Brock sings in a more laid-back tone but with just enough conviction such that he does not lose himself within the instrumental backdrop.
All in all, what Little Tybee has come up with in For Distant Viewing is a very neatly orchestrated and arranged album; one that plays off the different individual elements in the band, resulting in a more holistic sound. What you get from it is thus different perspectives on how folk or jazz or acoustic music could be approached. Though some of the tracks here may be pretty lengthy with 6 songs clocking in at over 5 minutes, this album is not really that ambitious and it rarely ever feels strained what with how much technical prowess Little Tybee have to offer with their instrumentation. In that sense then, they are like flavored tobacco; something different and unorthodox from the usual fare but man they sure can be pretty.
