The Glow Pt. 2, released under Phil Elverum's alter-ego, The Microphones, is an indie folk masterpiece, not just according to me, but to anyone who is a fan of the genre. It has completely redefined folk music for me with its experimental creative decisions and honest themes. It’s lyrically and sonically a work of art and easily earns its spot as my favorite folk album of all time.
The record deals with very dark and realistic themes, many of them relating to death. Each track features a vastly different message than the other. Of course, going through each track and talking about its themes would be redundant and quite difficult on my end, so allow me to talk about some of my favorites.
The album's title track is a big stand-out to me. The track itself is about wanting to wallow in your own self-pity. Lines such as "But I heard my own breath, and I had to face that I am still living" give us insight into how Elverum finds it burdensome to continue living. This is a very real thing that people deal with and to hear it put so bluntly really puts that into perspective for the listener.
Another message that I find to be important is loneliness. This is closely explored on the tracks "I Felt My Size" and "I Felt Your Shape". I Felt My Size is about Elverum's attempt to feel important by comparing himself to things that are large in size, but by the end of the track he is forced to come to terms with the fact that he is small and unimportant.
I Felt Your Shape has a similar message, except this track covers the literal sense of being alone. Elverum uses a simple hug as a metaphor to describe the grip he has on his past relationship. He believes that as long as he never stops hugging his past lover, he will never be alone.
The album's thematic depth is accompanied by it's dingy and unique sound. Similar to Earl Sweatshirt's Some Rap Songs, Elverum uses poor-sounding production and soft vocals throughout the album, in order to convey his feelings of depression. He experiments with many different sounds and instruments, and this is very clearly recognized as you will notice that no two tracks sound the same. The beginning track greets you with a welcoming, calming atmosphere, but is soon interrupted by clashing instruments and loud distortion. The Glow Pt. 2 combines noise rock and indie folk to create an atmosphere like no other. A great standout is the album's cohesion. Despite the great difference in all 16 tracks, the album is really well structured. Each track flows into each other so well that it almost feels like one very long song.
The Glow Pt. 2 is a folk classic that continues to inspire many people with it's unique sound, complex themes, and emotional depth. I don't see this album ever leaving my rotation. 10/10.
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