Phosphorescent – ‘Revelator’ album review: a cult-classic in the making
THE SKINNY: Phosphorescent can be calmed by one very pivotal thing about the release of the latest album, Revelator. It has arrived at the start of spring, and it operates as an easy-listening experience akin to the first ray of sunshine glimpsing your morning brew. But if you were hoping for the springtime to be all sunshine and rainbows, then you’ve forgotten the necessary grey clouds.
The project of Matthew Houck, Phosphorescent, is, in many ways, a vehicle of emotional destruction. The opening track may provide you with all the hope the world has to offer, but as things progress, the reality of humanity and the many ups and downs that it entails are impossible to avoid. It concludes with ‘To Get It Right’, which, as well as being a seven-minute epic complete with a rousing chorus and pitch-perfect organ, is an enriching moment by an artist’s standards.
There are some moments when the banality of life transfers into a sense of musical boredom. The listening of this record can pass by without too many discernable moments of sonic tonal change, but there is some joy in that feeling, which, considering the record is far more keenly pointed towards discovering the essence of sadness, feels a welcome relief.
Revelator has an uncanny ability that very few albums have. For some, the album will simply pass by as another set of songs pitched at the sad-boy/girl market. However, it will, I am certain, be a whole host of people’s favourite LP of the year despite not making it into the mainstream consciousness. There are moments on the record that will be transcendent, that will compel and comfort those people and leave them feeling nourished and truly seen. For an artist like Houck, that’s likely the best thing to happen.
For fans of: Wandering lonely as a cloud.
A concluding comment from my next door neighbour: “Is everything alright over there?”
Revelator track by track:
Release Date: April 5 | Producer: Matthew Houck | Label:Verve
‘Revelator’: Like the opening of a flower or a gentle breeze drifting blossom across the path, Houck’s vocals align perfectly with the title of the track to reveal the LP as something worth losing yourself in. [4/5]
‘The World Is Ending’: There is some textural richness to ‘The World Is Ending’ that feels uniquely positioned next to Houck’s Randy Newman-inspired tonal delivery. Matter-of-factly stating a sad story has long been Newman’s MO, and Houck does a fine job of matching up to him here. [3/5]
‘Fences’: Escaping the outdoors is a difficult thing to do on Revelator. Every song feels directly woven into the fabric of Mother Earth’s tapestry. But, when diving into the lyrical context of Houck’s work, there is far more humanity than nature. ‘Fences’ is delicately poised, never entirely sure of which way it will fall: joy or despair. [3/5]
‘Impossible House’: As we continue our time in the claustrophobic confines of domesticity, Houck embodies a cadence that would make The National feel blue. It feels as if the grey clouds have gathered and the first drops of rain are falling: refreshing but hinting at a more depressing time ahead. [3/5]
‘Wide As Heaven’: “Why does heaven make me feel so sad?” was the starting pistol for ‘Wide As Heaven’. Inspired by a dream Houck had wherein he was surrounded by love and still alone, the songwriter leans heavily into the downpour mentioned above. [3/5]
‘A Moon Behind The Clouds’: Thankfully, things pick up with ‘A Moon Behind The Clouds’. There is a tempo that could be considered a Paul Simon shimmy, and it provides a respite from the otherwise growing dourness of Houck’s record. It may fade into the background of the LP when taken as a whole, but as a single entry to his canon, it’s a delightfully pleasant number. [3.5/5]
‘All The Same’: Houck’s vocal shouldn’t be understated. His ability to deliver seemingly simple lyrics with a warm and honeyed tone, and therefore elevate them to poetry, is a skill that few possess. It is at play most heavily in ‘All The Same’, which, similarly to The Beatles ‘Hello, Goodbye’ compares opposing factors before concluding, with a Buddhist-like zen, that none of it really matters. [3.5/5]
‘A Poem On The Men’s Room Wall’: If you’ve listened to the album up til now, then there’s a very good chance that the rest of the record will melt into the ether like a 1990s sitcom fades out at the end of an episode. It doesn’t mean this song isn’t as poetic as the name suggests, but it does hint that there is little musical variation in Revelator. [3/5]
‘To Get It Right’: Phosphorescent arguably left the best moment of the record until last. Closing out an album is particularly difficult, but as Houck laments, “to get it right is hard to do,” he delivers a stand-out song. Built into a seven-minute epic, the track is detailed and devastating, rich with golden veins of emotion and, in the end, capable of leaving the listener in a complete mess. [4.5/5]
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