Great Lakes - Distance Between

  by Cara Ross

published: 15 / 11 / 2002

---

A second great full-length album from Great Lakes...right from the opening psych rock-out of 'Free Scene” on down to the piano-laden 6-minute psych finale of 'Conquistadors'. 'The Distance Between' has come out in Britain on the Track and Field Organisation label from London. Track and Field do their best to promote music with as much depth as possible, including running a monthly club night for all of you punters out there desperate to hear decent independent music on the cheap. Check out their website www.trackandfield.org.uk for their latest list of gigs ! The album is also being released in America on the Orange Twin label. It’s clear from listening to 'The Distance Between' how seriously Great Lakes are into their music , and how earnest they are about projecting it with a similar length of depth to Track and Field.  Something that on one base listen you might be inclined to toss off as cheesy, you later realize is just their honest emotion.  The list of credits on who’s playing what on this album is vast.  All those rich and lush parts are due in large part to the contributors themselves. The hard core mainstays of the group, Dan Donahue, Jamey Huggins, lend a large list of instruments, which, as well as drums, guitars and synth-organs, also include additional gems like accordions, harmonicas, melodica, and pianos In addition to this there are TEN other players who also manage to incorporate cellos, slide guitars, trumpets, clarinets, lap steel guitars, and much more into the package...I think Great Lakes are generally a nine-piece actually, but they are their own roving philharmonic, and each instrument is given its useful due. After their last self-titled album I had actually always assumed that Great Lakes were an Elephant 6 endeavour, probably mostly because aside from that record's pretty groovy packaging (the insert came with a DIY cut-out of a psychedelic cityscape that you could place on your turntable and watch go round and round...note: sadly I never actually tried this...), there wasn’t a lot of other information on the sleeve.  Robert Schneider (of Apples in Stereo fame) did help them mix that last album, and he also has this one. I guess then it wasn’t really that much of a stretch for me to assume E6 status, especially as members of Great Lakes also appear in Marshmallow Coast, Elf Power and Of Montreal. Whatever the case though, please don’t assume Rob Schneider fuzz-box rock with the Great Lakes.  Overall this is meandering, mellow make-out music (well...accordion-driven make-out music...the best and creepiest kind).  But it’s done well.  Continue to think Pet Sounds and ignore any psych-pop backlash you may be hearing...that just means there is more for you now that all those E6 emo-geeks have moved on to the Strokes, or whatever else is the current flash. When I’m old and finally retire to Coney Island to manage my freak show, I want Great Lakes to be one of my house bands.

Track Listing:-

1 Free Scene
2 Sister City
3 Ever So Over
4 Now Is When
5 Some Of Shelley's Blues
6 Bead By Bead
7 This Will Be Your Year
8 Tugboat Sailor
9 The Sparkle
10 Morning Of My Life
11 Conquistadors

Post A Comment

---

Comment

Name

your name

Location

ie London, UK

Submit

Check box to submit

Adam Coxon
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson

Dixie Ernill
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart

Malcolm Carter
Marie Hazelwood
Mark Rowland
Nick Dent-Robinson
Nicky Crewe
Nige Nudds
Philamonjaro
Richard Lewis
Shirley Procter
Spencer Robertshaw
Steev Burgess
Steve Kinrade

Steve Miles
Tommy Gunnarsson
Zena Grieg