Megafaun - Megafaun

Author

Aaran Gicquel

Published

Monday 6th February

Crammed Discs

The only words I can muster after my first Megafaun experience is “wow!!” I’ve struggled all week to come up with language to describe something that is best listened to and I’m not going to get anywhere close to an accurate description by the end of this review.

So lets start with Megafaun as a band. Hailing from Eau Claire, WI, USA Joe Westerlund and brothers Phillip and Bradley Cook started as bandmates with Justin Veron before splitting to form Bon Iver and Megafaun. While Megafaun are the lesser know over here the sound is equally as beautiful if not warmer to the touch. They were even commissioned by the Duke University to create and perform Sounds of the South a concert based upon the collection of american folk songs collected by Alan Lomax.

The self titled release was recorded in Justin Verons studio April Base in Fall creek Wisconsin and has the open spaciousness that any Bon Iver record can’t do with out. Megafuan is filled with perfect vocal harmonies, explorations into sound that transcends genres and feel good gospel folk epics. In general this record is an uplifting one and strays away from the over used melancholy, that floods this market, as much as possible.

The opening track ‘Real Slow’ is becoming one of my favorite driving songs firmly rooted in strong open chord americana riffs and atmospheric interludes. It just makes you wanna pack up the bus and leave on tour. From here on the record starts branching out and expanding on so many different tangents that at points its hard to remember you’re still listening to the same band but you always get pulled back in with familiar sounds it could be a banjo or the keys filling in the background like a watercolour landscape.

‘Statement/Meant’ is another song with a similar feel along with ‘Get it Right’. But its when you look at tracks like ‘These Words’ with its Books like integration and blending of sampling and live instruments then digest ‘Isodora’ with its punchy brass orchestration and simple use usage of strings that almost resemble a south of the border revolution song. Then press play on ‘Scorned’ as this is what Elbow would sound like if they came from the deep south and where pulled along by a chain gang toiling over a new railway. This record almost comes alive and becomes a treasure map just enticing you to find the pot of gold in side its many layered textures.

Having listened to Megafaun over and over, I still feel wow!! And its hard to explain how such a band exists in obscurity. All I can do is advise you to get your self seated and listen. Meagafuan have some how crammed so much quality into one hour that its impossible to not feel overwhelmed, just remember to take deep breaths.