Karl Blau : Vultures of Love
If you’re reading this, chances are the name Karl Blau rings a bell. Since the 1990s, Blau has been a ubiquitous, multi-tasking force within the independent underground, leading his own bands, teaming up with pals and sliding in the producer’s chair. You may know him from his time in the Pacific Northwest as a member of D+, his work with Phil Elverum in The Microphones and Mount Eerie, collaborations with Laura Veirs, LAKE and Earth or from his solo endeavors, which are voluminous. A look at Blau’s Bandcamp page reveals a treasure trove, an ever-growing discography boasting his prolific status as a heart-on-sleeve folker with a bent for pastoral twang and outside-the-box experiments. A reggae reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s classic “Nutcracker Suite” called The Coconutcracker Suite? An exquisite pedal steel-dotted old timey-style country gem? Blau’s been all over the map, as songwriter, arranger and in-studio mad professor sort.
After a bunch of official label releases, DIY self-released odds and ends and subscriber-only offerings, Blau takes that trifecta—ace tunesmith, singer and producer—to a whole other scale of grandeur on Vultures of Love. There’s a subtle beauty that exudes from Blau’s songcraft. Those falling under a similar folk-rockish umbrella like Bill Callahan, Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Kurt Wagner of Lambchop have been acing it for years; Blau assumes his rightful place alongside that indie royalty, as evidenced by the ten exquisite tunes that make up Vultures of Love. Sure, it’s undeniable that Blau’s striking baritone invokes that of Callahan’s as soon as “Bee Song,” the album’s opening track, kicks in with its sparse acoustic guitar strumming. You can almost hear the campfire crackling in the background with the moon shining above. But he shows he has tons more magic in his multi-instrumental arsenal and songwriting chops. Soon enough, a Dylanesque harmonica enters the fray, augmented by horns and spacey synths. “Bee Song,” with its rustic and rainbow-streaked folk arrangements, is a gorgeous slice of Americana.
The album only gets better from there. “Pasadena” is the should-be hit, a top-down chugging earworm that hits like Loaded-era Velvet Underground; “Back on Track” vibes like 1970’s-era groovy funk; “Who” and “Taxes” are blissed-out, earthy trips that channel the simplistic folk-rock melodies of Neil Young’s Harvest.
Conceived upon his relocation from his longtime home in Anacortes, Washington to the Philadelphia area with invaluable contributions from Dave Flaherty of avant-pop unit Cuddle Magic, Blau’s Vultures of Love is a perfect mix of tender balladry and psychedelic choogle.
Label: Otherly Love
Year: 2024
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Karl Blau : Vultures of Love
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