Joseph O'Connell, the man behind Elephant Micah, is an interesting artist. I first came across him via a Record of the Month review in Uncut Magazine a couple of years ago. This led me to his previous record Genericana in and now he's back with a new one, Vague Tidings, just out. It's another fascinating document.
The musician O'Connell is most obviously reminiscent of is the unhinged Neil Young of On The Beach and Tonight's The Night. As with Young on those records, Elephant Micah, (probably best to refer to him by the name he goes out into the marketplace with), sounds alternately as if he's about to burst into tears, slit his wrists or mainline heroin to dull the pain.
Vague Tidings is probably less unhinged than Genericana. But that's not saying much. Genericana was an extraordinarily unhinged record. This one is just about back on the rails in terms of conforming to the basic conventions of structure and melody, but only just.
It's still pretty bleary eyed and wasted. There's an awful lot of emotional bloodletting going on here and it all comes together to fashion a damned strong album which I already can't wait to come back to and get to know better.
There are very few precedents for records and statements like this in the Rock and Roll canon. The Young ones I mentioned come immediately to mind. Also a few of Dylan's, Big Star's Sister Lovers, Skip Spence's Oar, Townes Van Zandt.
Vague Tidings fits in nicely with these great records and it's not necessarily shamed by the comparison. A voice from the wilderness trying to find its way home. An altogether staggering record, not one that will necessarily fill your heart with joy, but one that should make you glad you've heard it. The west is the best. Not always Jim. But it's definitely got something going for it if it can summon forth albums like this.
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