RV Farms release self-titled LP
At first listen the standout song “July” seems like the percussion is going backward, while the chiming keys and the strung-out guitar riffs are going in a completely different direction. It’s like light hitting the sun – a radiance that reverberates to the listener. It’s a stunning song and it’s the seventh track on RV Farms’ self-titled, 10-track album. With bursts of imaginary bright bubbles elevating the listener experience, “July” is just one of the albums many gems.
URL: https://rvfarms.ca/
RV Farms is the moniker of Dan English. He hails from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and seems to have an arsenal of do-hicky sounds at his disposal to create an unforgettable auditory experience. His melodic, almost hushed vocals are deceiving in some songs, and a welcomed artistic embellishment in others. He’s not brash. He’s a bit elegant, especially in “July” and in the first track, “Starting Again.” He’s so even keeled in his approach on all the songs, the dramatics and theatrics falls to the music beds.
In “Too Much” (track four) and “Mae”(track five) he’s never misses a beat. “Mae” has this peculiar background noise, as if he left the recorder going during happy hour at a bar. I think that’s what this song felt like to me – a lone observer in a corner bar. The perspective is that this person feels happy as a lark being out on the town, but also a bit insecure. It’s an instrumental song, but sure enough, RV Farms creates a blindingly unique essence.
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/rvfarms/sets/rv-farms/s-sxndH
Lyric wise, it’s hard to keep up. RV Farms tends to not annunciate as much, rather stroll along in a very melodic way. I enjoyed it, and personally don’t need to know every word that is being sung to enjoy a sound. Sonically, these songs are breathtaking. The awe factor comes into play with the broad strokes of sounds and fusion of pop, Americana, roots, country and bits of synth all merged as one. RV Farms’ unique blend of music stew in all 10 tracks is quite tasty. And meaty!
Some listeners might find songs like “Find Legs” and “All I Need” a bit melancholy. It’s not that English’s voice is sad, per se, but his drowning melodies might catch some listeners off guard. I think the songs are like landscape paintings – again broad strokes – and the more you listen to them, the more you feel and hear things you didn’t notice in the prior listen. English finds a path and creates scenes that feel like water (especially the first track “Starting Again”) and at other times like windy day, in a distant part of the field (“Better Than Nothing”).
Again, the standout song “July” is a great starting point to discover RV Farms. Fans of Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie) and Grizzly Bear will dig RV Farms. Daniel English is a refreshing artist, who seems to delve deep into his own psyche for sounds that could be the soundtrack to a wide array of thoughts and feels. It’s worth the listen.
Jodi Marxbury