The Mount Eerie album A Crow Looked At Me is not an easy listen. Musician Phil Elverum lays bare his feelings over the loss of his wife Genevieve Castree, and his life since, with a mix of brutal, simplistic honesty and poetic artistry.
Musical arrangements are sparse in both structure and use of instrumentation but they focus the listener on the bitter sweet lyrics that vividly portray such an honest and painful loss. It’s this honesty that creates instant empathy for his character. The little nuances of daily life that suddenly become meaningful add such a weight to the EP that you can’t help but relate.
In the opening lines of the EP Mount Eerie states that death is “not for singing about, it’s not for making into art”. Despite this Phil Elverum is still an artist and his poetic nature shines through as his use of language takes you from the harsh reality to the profound.
The track Swims is a perfect example:
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