Typhoon – “White Lighter”
Roll Call Records
-out Aug. 20
5 / 5

This is it; we’re calling it. The eleven-piece from Portland, OR get it right, gets it all right. Typhoon’s debut full-length, White Lighter is nothing less than a epic journey through love and death and everything in between: it is brilliant, truly brilliant, dynamic, engrossing. It is rock tuned to an orchestral feel, with horns, violins, everything they can muster in almost a dozen musicians; it is rock that doesn’t hold back, that goes on a journey with every song; it is rock in its highest form, vast, personal, operatic and yet humble. It is our second five of five here on the blog (the first one being almost three years ago) and while we might not get everything right, we do think we got this one right. Get it now.

“Artificial Light” is one of those stunning openers that lets us know how much this band loves music. We said dynamic, yes? – well this song is as good an example as any to show how fantastic Typhoon’s writing skills are. This song drives right through, it makes you forget how many bridges you pass over, how many verses you come through, it shifts direction deftly and ably, it is a mini-suite all in five-and-a-half minute. AND THERE IS STILL MORE. “Hunger and Thirst” and “Young Fathers” are our favorites, though it took us another pleasurable listen through to make that tough decision. There is nothing extra, and every little space on this album has been filled with something small and precious. White Lighter is a grower, and by the time you piece out the lyrics from lead singer Kyle Morton, you know you’ve come across something rare and special. It is difficult to laud this one too much.

The whole of White Lighter is gorgeous; we got this one a month ago, and have listened to it every day since. Opinions may be opinions, but we’re calling this one out to be a new classic ten years from now; and if not, it certainly has all the elements for it. Our only regrets are not having more room to talk about it; highly recommended.

Check out their Soundcloud, or just stream the whole album at NPR.

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