Review Summary: It's as beautiful as it hurts
Alchemy Creek has a pastoral atmosphere that conjures up images of verdant pastures, dense forests, and rushing water. The vocals are hushed, hurt, and hopeful in equal measures. Cloud Cult’s twelfth full-length LP was recorded in an isolated cabin deep in the Wisconsin woods following frontman Craig Minowa’s divorce – and as it turns out, every bit of that context seeped into the creation of
Alchemy Creek. It’s undoubtedly better because of it, too. The album oozes with the sort of grief-stricken introspection that just about anyone who has endured a tough breakup can relate to, and as one song seamlessly flows into the next, listening to the record becomes like getting slowly pulled into a sad but oddly comforting dream. Or, as Minowa sings on the album’s lead single, “it's as beautiful as it hurts.”
Just as the transitions on
Alchemy Creek effortlessly blur, the songs themselves also seem to follow an intentional order. ‘Got Your Backpack Open That Backdoor’ serves as the opening scene, with distantly rumbling drums underscoring the urgency of the moment while Minowa sings – from amid a swirling sea of strings, pianos, and guitars – “We don’t have to do this anymore / You know, we deserve so much more.” If ‘Got Your Backpack’ represents – both sonically and lyrically – the agony of breaking up
in the moment, then ‘The Universe Woke Up As You’ is akin to trying to pick up the pieces of your life in the immediate aftermath. The song is decidedly more upbeat and harmonious, but still grapples with the impact of a truly life-altering event: “Gonna hum myself to sleep again tonight / Write a little song about the mysteries of life / Try to feel like everything's okay even though so much isn't right.” However, just as anyone who has endured heartache will understand, the pain doesn’t always completely set in right away. Here, the real reckoning occurs on the poignant ‘I Am A Force Field’ – a heavier (by this album’s standards, anyway) track that sees Minowa on the verge of screaming away his inner turmoil: “I can only cry when I'm alone / I guess it's something that I accidentally learned from my dad…I've been seeing backsons, and I've been hearing demons / And they say that they are here, because I'm pushing down my feelings.” It’s clear in following the lyrics that Cloud Cult is trying to mirror the stages of grief with this release, and for the most part,
Alchemy Creek does an admirable job of creating such a companion piece.
While
Alchemy Creek is nearly flawless in its pursuit of flourishing indie-folk with candid lyrics, its greatest moments arrive when Minowa and company open the emotional floodgates – allowing all that energy to release through more vibrant instrumentation. ‘I Am A Force Field’ is a clear example and obvious highlight, but we witness it again on ‘Tonight I Run Away’ – where eclectic instrumentation ranging from wobbly synths to carefully plucked acoustic guitars gathers steam until it erupts in an absolutely propulsive stomper, brimming with electric guitars and a resplendent chant. On the towering seven-and-a-half-minute penultimate track, ‘Let It All Out’, we witness a similar phenomenon: rustic strings, giving way to a sweeping orchestral moment with tribal drums, all leading to an epic crescendo featuring galloping percussion and electric guitars that crash over the entire experience like a tidal wave. For every tear-jerking ballad like ‘As Beautiful As It Hurts’ or pristine gem such as ‘Vision In A Field’, there’s an apex to build towards. The result is a stunning ebb and flow that makes the peaks seem all the more grandiose, and the valleys feel even more crushing and desolate.
Ultimately,
Alchemy Creek doesn’t really possess any obvious weaknesses aesthetically or structurally – it’s highly imaginative and competently composed. If anything, the theme might be a little too on-the-nose for some, as the concept really does follow its intended “this is a breakup album” mission statement step-for-step. Sometimes, it leads to lyrics that seem like they’re forced in; lines like “the stars seem brighter than ever before” and “the truth is gonna set you free” ring as empty platitudes, whereas verses such as “I know it hurts like hell, but the new you is ready to break out” or “Today’s a good day to screw it all and just smile” are just plain clunky. A little
less commitment to the plot and a little
more in the way of rough edges could have catapulted
Alchemy Creek from an excellent-yet-safe record to something more, but at the end of the day, there’s nothing wrong with having a gorgeously polished indie record that aches to its core at your disposal for rainy days – either literally or figuratively.
With Cloud Cult’s twelfth LP, the band has continued its long-running streak of excellence. There are other artists who’ve created more renowned and affecting music from the confines of a Wisconsin cabin, but that’s a high bar to clear. Those who come to this experience with some underlying pain will still find escape and catharsis within what is one of the better-executed concept albums of the year. So stop by
Alchemy Creek, bring your pain and your drama, and feel it slowly begin to melt away.
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