via//chicago

np: "jacknuggeted" - manitoba
so i finally sat down and wrote a long-form album review of this. the first review i've written in years, didn't quite turn out as i had hoped, but i'm gonna post it for the hell of it. comments are always welcome.

Up In Flames
Manitoba
(2003)
Domino

How many albums truly evoke the moods of a season? Sure, you may associate certain albums with certain times of the year due to repeated listens in a short timeframe, but how many albums upon first listen automatically take you that certain time? A select few are able to pull such a feat, but none as well or as distinctly as Manitoba’s Up in Flames. The man behind this album, Dan Smith, is able to perfectly reflect and transport the feelings of a lazy summer day directly to your ear from the minute you push play.
“I’ve Lived On a Dirt Road All My Life” kicks things off with a loud cacophony of various orchestra instruments as distorted vocals begin to float over the top of a slowly building beat. You begin to be reminded of an early 90’s shoegazer band, complete with vaporous vocals and droning guitars. But ever so peacefully, you start to notice your mind relaxing and floating away with the music. You get a sense of swirling excitement, anticipation of the day as it breaks. Excitement is in the air, although you can’t quite put your finger on why. The feeling continues over the next couple of tracks as flutes, saxophone, handclaps, frogs, birds, and a whole host of other sounds transport you through the summer air.
By the end of track three, “Hendrix with KO”, you are floating with the breeze and soaking up everything the earth has to offer on a beautiful day. As you are settled into the groove and letting the music just carry you onward, “Jacknuggeted” (the album’s first single), comes along and sends you soaring even higher into the atmosphere. You start to notice the first audible lyrics of the album and realize that this summer day isn’t just about fun and enjoyment, there’s also a sense of bittersweet loss mixed in. “I met you, then fell apart / Nothing more than a broken heart”, a voice whispers in your ear as you float through the clouds. But it doesn’t sound sad, it sounds as if the beauty of the day is slowly washing away the sadness of the night before and reassuring you that all is right with the world. Then the chorus comes in, sounding like a lost 1960’s summer classic complete with the “do-do-do-dos”.
Suddenly you realize that the beautiful day is passing you by and you haven’t accomplished anything more than floating around without a care. You have to find something to do so the day doesn’t feel like a waste. The ticking clocks and xylophones gently remind you that the time is passing and the day is to be lived, not just observed. Excitement swells through “Bijoux” as your mind races with the possibilities. Do you go for a swim? Call up some friends to enjoy this beautiful day with? There is so much joy to be pulled from the day.
As the album wears on though, you realize that you want to keep this feeling forever and you let it just wash over you, carrying you further into the sky. You float further and further as the beat carries you higher into the sky, but the sounds of dogs barking and children playing in the distance keeps reminds you that the earth is not too far away. Slowly you can sense the afternoon passing by and the evening begins to fall. You speed higher and faster as “Crayon” fades into the final track, “Every Time She Turns Round It’s Her Birthday”. You see a picnic below you, the track begins to slow down and ease you to the ground. A lazy melody encircles you as you join your friends at the picnic below. As you settle back to the earth, you get an overwhelming sense of wonder and excitement. The day has taken you all over the sky, now where will this warm summer evening take you? Gentle flutes break up the rapid beat that matches your excitement. Synths and distorted, distant vocals slow your heart back down and allow your mind to reflect on the day. It comes to a complete lull as you embrace yourself and the world around you, feeling enlightened for the journey you’ve been on. Suddenly you realize the journey isn’t over yet, as the rapid beat returns accompanied by floating sax fills that propel you into the setting sun, filled with the memories of a beautiful summer day.
This album contains a little bit of everything, but it’s balanced in such a way that the feeling of ease and serenity never completely leaves you. Manitoba has managed to create the perfect soundtrack to a lazy summer afternoon, whether it’s the first time you are hearing it or the hundredth. There is humanity to be found in laptops afterall. And perhaps even the perfect summer day.