Taking Leave cover artThe newest release from DFTBA records A collaborative effort from Alan Lastufka and Tom Milsom, this EP has lovely art to start off with. It adds to the atmosphere of the album, and the minimalistic three colors motif reflects the album's attitude well.
"Which is what?" you ask.
The songs have elements of sadness, regret, and wishfulness; yet each character is moving (or has moved) on with their life a more knowledgeable (though maybe slightly less trusting) person.
Milsom's soulful voice and arrangements along with Lastufka's poignant lyrics make for a very pleasing and satisfying experience.
The order of the songs is also nice, not one that you have to skip around on, a "listen to in order" album; it congeals.
If you are one who like "layers" in a song I think you will enjoy this very much, the lyrics make you think, and none of them are just a drum and guitar.
I put this in and was reading along with the lyrics, the first song had me tapping to the beat on the cover.
Okay. Individual songs.
1. Just a Boy - The simplicity at the beginning lets you know that the character indeed feels like a child, and as he "grows" with the lyrics the instrumentation grows with him as well, getting progressively more serious. It builds and builds, and the drops you, because life dropped him too. I loved the chorus best.
2. The Wind - This has such a happy high notes at first you are expecting a happy song, for some I'm sure it is , but the lyrics took me in a different direction. For me it was about a girl wanting to leave a relationship, not getting caught up in one. I felt it was, yes, something she couldn't control, but not something she wanted to be there. Flying for me is not always a good thing I guess? "she had no more choices than these, to live with the pain or the possibilities" Those possibilities are scary, But unknown is sometimes better.
3. Can't - Believe it or not even though it has somewhat melancholy lyrics still has an uplifting feeling. It is one of those songs that's easy to identify with and put yourself in the position of the characters.
"he's been destroyed, tears come falling from her trained toy, and with a sigh he can't say why, but he can't say goodbye"
4. The Mirror Song - This made me cry during my third listen, lyrics really hit me. Such a lovely, wistful tune, though I must say I wasn't sure I liked Kristina on the track the first time, but now it "fits".
A certain person had probably never heard my voice clearer until I did something drastic like that either. It also inspired me to write a song that night... it's here on tumblr too
5. Sparks Fly Upwards (orated poem) - If you don't like poetry you might be tempted to skip this, but it's in a nice place and the song ahead of it leads you in well.
6. Forgiven - Very despondent music and lyrics. I liked this, to me it's about someone who tried a long time to be what they ( parents, church, society - pick one) said you were supposed to be, and figured out for him it's a lie, and the tortured feeling that comes with that knowledge.
Song samples on Amazon
Order a tangible CD
Available on
hexachordal(Tom Milsom)
fallofautumndistro
(Alan Lastufka).
@reply me on twitter if you don't have a tumblr.
Be honest, did you click anything or just scan this and skip it?
