The Album Leaf - Into the Blue Again

The Album Leaf
Into the Blue Again
Sub Pop Records
Grade: A-/A

Into the Blue Again is exactly what you need to decompress from that which is everyday life. Fifty-three minutes of glorious ambient soundscapes measured with bits of indie pop mouthing to satisfy the vocals-needed crowd. Satisfying relaxation is guaranteed on Into the Blue Again; and so is electronic droning on a positive wave.

As a significant part of San Diego’s music scene, Jimmy LaValle – the one man that makes up the Album Leaf – has been plugging away on creating these sound collections since 1999. After 2004’s In a Safe Place, his debut record on Sub Pop and third overall, was released and scores of touring with basically every chic band you’ve (n)ever heard of, LaValle took a chunk of time off to recenter. Years as the Album Leaf as well as efforts in Tristeza, the Locust, and the Black Heart Procession had taken its toll. With success of In a Safe Place along with extra cash from The O.C. and other shows using his songs, LaValle’s was able to lock himself at home for six months and craft the ten-track Into the Blue Again. Unlike In a Safe Place and its noteworthy aid from the members of Sigur Ros, LaValle handles nearly all of the instruments here with only a smattering of string and engineering help. Recorded in Seattle and Iceland (where In a Safe Place was put to tape), LaValle moves the Album Leaf back to the original intent and modern day commonplace dream of one person constructing gorgeous music in (somewhat) isolation.

Into the Blue Again opens on “The Light,” a pulsating, droning song that sets the mood, space, and basic structure for the next nine tracks. Beats, keys, and a terrific synth riff keeps pace to LaValle’s vocals on “Always For You,” providing one the most heavily endowed vocal track. Yet, you can also find lengthy doses of vocals on the repetitive indie “Writings on the Wall” and the slower, sweeping “Wherever I Go.” If “Shine” has an instrumental theme it is of transcendence or at least ascendancy from your current spot making for one of the highlights on the record. “Red-Eye” makes use of hip-hop beat as electronics and later strings are sprinkled across the seven-minute song – a song that might have made better use of varying crescendos. Providing a relative contrast to the languid “Red-Eye” is the instrumentally brighter “See In You” and the pleasantly dense “Into the Sea” where an aura of hope-restored lingers. LaValle rounds Into the Blue Again with “Wishful Thinking” and “Broken Arrow.” The piano-driven “Wishful Thinking” takes the coat of a Caroline track without the vocal pop, and offers uplifting strings midway through. LaValle brings back the droning ambience and kitschy-blipping electronics on “Broken Arrow” before warming up a wide closing.

Continuing with and passing above previous material, Into the Blue Again is an album destined for many best-of lists this year. This is recommended if you can hear or at least feel music. And for those of the indie instrumental persuasion, Into the Blue Again is something to snack on before the next Explosions in the Sky record sees the light of day.