January 2011 CD Reviews: Glowbug – Silian Rail / Displacer Beast
Glowbug - Silian Rail / Displacer Beast. Artwork by Zach Wise
The latest artistic endeavor by life long local Daniel Anderson could prove to be his best. Filled with beats, reverb soaked vocals and upbeat song structures, Glowbug’s releases are sure to cement Daniel as one of the town’s most talented songwriters.
Glowbug started as a writing exercise for Daniel, a means to help spur creativity. But what started as an exercise quickly bloomed into a full-fledged project with Daniel releasing a four-song EP, Awful Scary, Yes, Very in October (reviewed in the November issue of What’s Up!), as well as Silian Rail in November and Displacer Beast in December.
Unlike Idiot Pilot and even the Ghost and the Grace, Glowbug feels less like it was crafted and more like it was created a concept that started as a seed and grew organically without any real concern for where it would end up or who would be listening. There were times that Idiot Pilot felt like it was crafted to be big (this is not meant as a slight, but an observation of songwriting style), where Glowbug feels more easy and natural, as if Daniel didn’t have a care in the world while making the songs which makes them that much more endearing. Glowbug sounds the way a good solo album should inspired and interesting.
As for the music, everything is computer and keyboard generated except for Daniel’s vocals, which are exceptional. At first blush, there doesn’t appear to be any guitar (unless it’s hidden under the layers) and the beats are definitely not manmade. The music causes involuntary toe tapping if you’ve got a pulse, you’ll tap your toes and not even notice. The songs would feel at home in a nightclub or a summer dance party the beats make even the most dead legged dancer want to move around.
Glowbug is reminiscent, in a way, of the Postal Service a lofty comparison, but one that is the most logical for a person unfamiliar with the nuances of electronic music. The Postal Service brought upbeat and interesting electronic music to the masses and Glowbug has that similar feel as if it has the potential to be liked by a wider audience. The music is upbeat and (almost) sun soaked, as if it’s meant to be listened to while driving around with friends on a beautiful sunny day. It sounds inherently upbeat without feeling contrived or disingenuous.
Opting to release an EP a month instead of saving all the recordings for a full length, Daniel is shining a light on the future of the music industry. Glowbug is not under a label, but released through the internet. Daniel puts out a small batch of songs on bandcamp where people can buy the recordings without packaging or even leaving their house. The music is released as he sees fit, playing by his own rules.
If there is a down side, it’s the timing of the releases it would feel more natural in the spring or summer. But to sit on recordings like this would have done a disservice to him as well as his fans.
The two latest EP’s by Glowbug are what locals have come to expect from Daniel unbelievably good music.
Self Released
glowbug.bandcamp.com
