Megafaun - Gather, Form and Fly

  by Robert Fisher

published: 13 / 8 / 2009

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Review

It has always been my impression that the American South has a climate of decay that embraces its nature, geography and history and affects the worldview of those who live there. There is an acceptance of the effects of age. Where, in other parts of the country, people may struggle to reinvent and modernize as their surroundings give in to time and gravity, in the south there is a quiet embrace of such certainties and a willingness to improvise within the structure that nature provides. Historical improvisation shows up through out the songs on 'Gather, Form and Fly'; the elegiac qualities of songs like the lovely instrumental ballad 'Bella Marie', the sense of time and melancholy in the strings and horns of 'Impressions of the Past' and the longing for acceptance in 'Worried Mind” are few of the early indications that something rare is unfolding. But this isn’t some creaky folk record trying hard to measure itself against a sense of reverence for the way things “should be done”. Instead, this record brims with an unfettered optimism that new music can be just as potent. All the while respecting what has come before. Brothers Brad and Phil Cook along with Joe Westerlund share a musical history that dates back to 1997. Megafaun was formed after the demise of their former band De Yarmond Edison (formed with fellow collaborator and friend Justin Vernon (a.k.a Bon Iver)) in 2006 and the release of their first album 'Bury the Square' in 2007. The trust that comes from such musical and personal familiarity is present in every song on 'Gather, Form and Fly'. Recorded after the trio immersed themselves in touring, playing and writing over a three year period that saw the band play 250 shows, their experience of presenting the songs anew each night allowed this recording to appear with effortless conviction. The exceptional arrangements, both instrumental and vocal, are delicate and well measured but never sound anything but spontaneous and joyful. Sing-a-longs, back porch hymns, fragile banjo and work song rhythms joined by occasional fragments of sound collage and transient melodies are all assembled as though they exist only in the moment. 'Gather, Form and Fly' was mixed by Chris Stamey of the remarkable dBs and it is an educated guess that his sense of joy helped to make this record seem like it was more the result of a happy accident than some carefully plotted opus. Inspiration, vision and skill all must be present to make a record this good. Gather together, form a musical trust and make it fly!

Track Listing:-

1 Bella Marie
2 Kaufman's Ballad
3 The Fade
4 Impressions of the Past
5 Worried Mind
6 The Process
7 Solid Ground
8 Darkest Hour
9 Gather, Form and Fly
10 Columns
11 The Longest Day
12 Guns
13 Tides

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