Search - Anathallo :: Floating World

Margaret S. from GLENVIEW, IL
Reviewed on 5/12/2010...

Anathallo is a group of kids who all played in band and they bring the expertize to music in a very pretty way. Using Instruments of all kinds. I like this album for its sound. Worth owning.

Alexander V. from FARMINGTN HLS, MI
Reviewed on 5/15/2007...

This CD creates an interesting story line. This band is originally from Mt. Pleasant, MI. They have now moved to Chicago, Il and are in the middle of creating a new CD. If you like Sufjan Stevens...you'll probably warm up to this CD easily.

A Beautiful Surprise

Joshua D. Vajda | Mt. Pleasant, MI United States | 10/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've attempted a number of times to listen to Anathallo in passing, mostly because they are from my area and I know a couple of the guys. But somehow, I just couldn't connect. It was too avant garde, too untraditional for me. Then I listened to Hanasakajijii (Part 4: A Great Wind, More Ash)... and nothing changed.



But I found myself hooked on certain catchier parts of the music, so I listened again. And again. And again. Until I started to realize there was a story hidden beneath. I did some digging on the internet and finally I wouldn't be satisfied until I heard it all. And as I dug I found my own treasure.



This is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums both musically and lyrically. The music is a combination of folk, modern rock, and modern orchestra. However, if you are expecting something in the vein of punk or rock, you'll be disappointed. It is very low-key, very thoughtful, often times dischordant, but never without reason. I find most of the energy is bottled in Anathallo's unique chanting and vocal arrangements found throughout the album (not to downplay the unique rhythms and percussion). The lyrics are pure poetry, begging to be picked apart and chewed. The heavy use of Japanese language and culture is an interesting choice, but it fits well. The overall theme even harkens to the band's own name, if you are familiar with its meaning.



I must also comment on the cover. That itself is a work of art. Look carefully at all the black in the image; it is a stencil cutout, with all the colors you see on a secondary cover behind it. Perhaps it's been done before, but I've never seen it, and everyone to which I've shown it is impressed. It's so distractingly pretty that it took me until today to notice the story is captured here, too.



If you're willing to put the time in, I would HIGHLY recommend this album. As for me, I'm off to buy a glockenspiel."

Remarkable to the last morsel

Michael Barrera | San Antonio, TX | 08/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The swings and jitters of indie music can be utterly fascinating or pretentious --sometimes we're nulled by too many tempo changes, off-structures and fanciful metaphors that sometimes we are expected to sit and listen instead of drown in a pool of confusion. Of course it all depends on how you view it and what indie means to you, to some it means Pavement and Sonic Youth while to others it could be The Libertines or The Futureheads. Regardless there comes time when an album is so deliciously derived that all precepts or notions immediately left out the window. Though Floating World is far from being what "Funeral" was in 2004 or "Illinoise" was in 2005, it is a strong contender for top ten album of the year.



Playing with diverse acts like Chiodos and Mono is I caught my first glimpse of these guys. Their set consisted of everything from a marching band's bass drum to using items that have likely never been used as conventional instruments such as links of chain and even the crowd holding small balloons the band would pop to create a rhythm...talk about them demanding crowd participation.



The industry hype couldn't be ignored for Anathallo's first attempt at a full record of songs. The band has released an array of scattered EP's, all over a span of the last few years: one compiling 7 messy pop punk songs, one with some sparse covers of hymns, and a 3-song wonder EP that perhaps best dictated their sound and message.



This particular album crashed into my lap in the form of a giant envelope that as soon as I torn apart unraveled what would soon be to me a beautiful, delicately crafted album. To my amazement, the black cardboard sleeve was precisely cut in the exquisite designs you can notice on their images, overlaying the psychadelic colors underneath. I wasn't as suprised as I could've been--I know what Anathallo is about--always driving to do something different, unique, and their own.



Immediate reactions to the disc draw comfortable comparisons to Sufjan Stevens' latest (Illinois) and at its best moments, this band combines great experimental sounds with agreeable melodies and chorusing. Plenty of female vocals and sparse crooning bring the disc to immediate UV ray, and the vibrant, resonating sounds that occur on this album are often incredibly enjoyable. Key tracks include "Hoodwink" or the brilliant "Hanasakajijii (four: a great wind, more ash)," in which the vocalists and band follow-suit to combine their unconventional style with accessible melodies. Everything from pianos to horns find their way to the surface on this disc, and hand-clapping and even drumstick-tapping all make the music on this disc supremely vibrant and at the same time, sparse and moody.



At moments, I found myself wishing most of the songs were as accessible as the aforementioned, but as the album began to sink its teeth into me, I felt myself in a sudden luminated hopeful light that this medium of music is the way it is. Filled with tranquility, serenity, and delicacy, the album takes its listener on a compelling array of moods, consistently changing tempo and volume. The singer's voice is backed up by a slew of other singers as well as the album progresses, and while at moments the music might drag on to some, one can come to a grip of understanding when they witness the band's live act.



Truly, to encompass all of the thoughts and passion this band carries on stage would be impossible on record --I know to many this can be said for many bands but trust me, it's evident not just talk for these guys, and needless to say there are moments when the CD quietly and nearly disintegrates--but the band always seems to pick itself up again.



Don't expect an album you'll be singing along with--and don't expect one to hit you in the face right away, it takes time to grow and requires some special attentive listening to get the whole idea. Anathallo's mysteries are those for the patient. There's a reason this band is making waves and even opening for Dashboard Confessinonal--get your hands on one of these custom CD's while you still can and before they can't afford to make any more due to overwhelming demand. Anathallo are doing something genuinely different and unique with their sound--and needless to say, I am falling head-over heels over this one."