The Channel "Tales from the Two Hill Heart/Sibylline Machine"
By Ryan Harig
Thursday. Aug 10, 1:57 AM
Finding the special place in everyone’s heart.

Double albums. Concept albums. Dreams, nightmares, love, and hate: all of (or at least most of) the elements in the life of the indie musician idealist. It’s a scary thing going into an album of so much deep conscious thought, such as Texas revivalist super band The Channel’s latest platter. I was nervous: I didn’t want to depreciate a band that takes the time to make so much music. Chances are, this is a work intended to get lost in, and at what will possibly spill over into two hours, more like a musical film, if anything. Another obstacle to get over is the shadow cast by the best of indie lo-fi rock/pop idealists, such as Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. It will never be topped, and I hate it sometimes because it gets me into trouble listening to other vast-minded projects. I see the beauty of Mr. Magnum’s masterpiece leaking into other projects of similar size and stature. Truth be told, it’s hard to listen to anything lo-fi, when in my mind it seems nothing will ever be as important and pristine as Neutral Milk Hotel’s classic. So apologies to The Channel, even though the band probably didn’t go into their efforts with a “model” in mind, but it’s a preconceived idea in my head that I just wanted on the table before said review is to commence.

With that established. The Channel have made quite an amazing release here. Varying nicely in emotion and audio attack formations throughout, this is a very Will Oldham versus Grandaddy record. Right from the start, there are swirling vocal arrangements on "Up on the Hill" and "The Deserter." Immediately, there's a real sense of value in what the band are making. Almost as if they really took the time and talked about what the end product should be. It’s in this quality that you can tell how much the band really aren't just doing it for their fans: they’re doing it for themselves. I don't think you can make songs like "Halls of the Gifted" or "New Mexican Arcade" without a focus on the love of creating that the indie world is surrounded by. Which brings me to where I stood after listening to the first disc of this double album, Tales From the Two Hill Heart. It was good enough on its own to stand as the sole new release. The Channel didn’t need to go any further. So as I felt content with just one disc, I worried that another one might weigh it down… but thankfully, I had nothing to worry about.

I found Sibylline Machine to be as good, if not better, in its musical vision than its counterpart. There's a stronger sense of reality than Tales From the Two Hill Heart’s day-dreamy meanderings and a bit more rock and roll in the mix. Songs like the title track, "Bedsides/ Ohio," and "Sneaks of Skates?" at points have a bouncy peppiness akin to The Shins. Not that The Channel didn't already bear that similarity from the get go, but in all honesty Sibylline Machine has a very Oh, Inverted World sound to it. Which is not a bad thing: it’s actually quite fantastic. Coming from that approach and going into its own original territory, Sibylline Machine made the transition to a warm place in my heart, where music becomes not just tunes but something even more special. If that description comes off as too soft or cute, then you yourself are in denial. Music is supposed to make that transition: I don't care what anyone says. It’s your favorite Beatles album, it’s the most important Pink Floyd release in your mind, it’s the best Radiohead show you saw. Special albums and musical moments always make that transition: it’s why when you argue with your friends over your choices, everyone else is wrong.

After the disc was completely done, the music faded from my eardrums, and I sat there on my third cup of coffee on what would be my last official listen, I had deduced many a merits for use in this review. This massive double album from The Channel is an amazing piece of work. Given time and patience, it can grow into anyone's heart. Whether your favorite disc is Tales From the Two Hill Heart or Sibylline Machine, one of them will eventually make you believe in this vast work. I was taken aback, really. It’s a full and realized set that gives you nothing more than great music from beginning to end. I am a fan of this record completely, and like a man in therapy, I can now declare "there is life after Neutral Milk Hotel..."
www.thechannelsounds.net
www.c-siderecords.com

Listen to a song from this album in our Radio section!

Ryan Harig

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