Westerners, The / Beautiful Departed
Album: Beautiful Departed   Collection:General
Artist:Westerners, The   Added:Mar 2009
Label:West Arts Llc  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2009-05-17 Pull Date: 2009-07-19
Week Ending: Jul 19 Jun 21 Jun 14 Jun 7 May 31 May 24
Airplays: 1 1 1 2 1 3

Recent Airplay
1. Jul 17, 2009: Memory Select, guest Rent Romus
My Banshee
4. Jun 04, 2009: Muzikstravaganza
My Banshee
2. Jun 16, 2009: Interim Special
Faith
5. May 31, 2009: Aural Sex
My Banshee
3. Jun 10, 2009: KZSU's Heartbleeps
My Banshee
6. May 24, 2009: Aural Sex
My Banshee

Album Review
Adam Pearson
Reviewed 2009-05-08
Big, dark, pop rock. The sound here is all over the place; from goth-y Cure imitation to alt-country/Indian music mash-ups. I’d say The Cure is the major influence here but this stuff also draws on blues, folk, Americana, Western, and electro pop. I think this could have been great if the band had real drums. Lots of different styles and instrumentation going on here—accordions, synths, distorted guitars, electronic drums, folk—manages to carry some semblance of a feel, though the back half of the record sort of falls apart. This album is dedicated the daughter of one of the members, who tragically died at the age of 12 or 13. Play (tracks 1, 3,or 5) with current A-filers Feeding Fingers and Faith, Pornography, Bauhaus, etc. No FCCs. Try 1, 3, 5, 6, or 10, (or 7 for novelty).

*1.This is like more melodic, lush, produced Faith-era Cure. Seems like a direct tip of the hat because this track is called “Faith.” Lots of vocal parts, choral, lead female and male. Drums seem pretty sequenced; a little inorganic. Looping electronics and keys in here, too. (4:54)
2. Electronic lead synth, pulsating electronic drums, dark distorted guitars, less memorable than 1. (4:24)
*3. Accordion shanty opens, some cool percussion comes in, and some more gospel-y sounding choral stuff comes in with synth washes. Really interesting track. (3:57)
4. Instrumental. Bare guitar opens and echoes, synths come in and fill out the sound. Good soundbed. (2:12)
*5. Sort of a continuation of the previous track, down-tempo, dreamy, some accordion and great backing vocals. It really sucks the drums sound so digital…at least to me… (4:32)
*6. Different. Simplistic guitar dueling to start and repeats throughout the song. Touching spoken story style about the daughter’s death? Dark…kind of Slint-y, post-rocky vocal delivery. (4:17)
??? 7. Attempt at Indian music? Chanting, stuttering percussion and fiddles?? Electronic drums, a weird sample, banjo, funky bass line. A major what the fuck moment, but it could make good radio. (4:01)
8. Electronic drums skitter, big Gallop (Cure) bass, sort of dissonant, watery loops, kind of plodding. (4:19)
9. This one doesn’t really work, layered vocal parts, interesting guitar later in the song. (3:40)
*10. Melodic, more accordion, sweet track, slow strummed acoustic guitar, no percussion and smooth backing male vocals. Sample of voice mail at the end? (3:15)
11. Traditional folk song, “Wayfaring Stranger.” Note: fades out after 3:15. (-6:12ish) Slow, dark, soft intro, vocals a little out of key? Minimalistic, bells ring, electronic percussion sounds almost like a heartbeat. Fades out and hidden track starts about a minute later. Instrumental melodic, lounge-y piano ballad; very skillful playing until the end. (9:27)


Track Listing
1. Faith   6. Samsara
2. Shadow   7. Funky Buddhist
3. My Banshee   8. No Conversation
4. Opening Red Eyes   9. One World Blues
5. Red Eyes   10. Last Lullaby
  11. Wayfaring Stranger