Album Review: "151a" by Kishi Bashi

I recently had the opportunity to see Kishi Bashi live, and was instantly enraptured by his music. 151a is a collection of almost hauntingly beautiful songs in a vein that could be compared to Andrew Bird or Jónsi.

151a kicks off with "Intro/Pathos, Pathos," a brilliant combination of traditional orchestral sounds and electronic/synthesized sounds. "Manchester" continues the feel and features the gorgeous line: "My favorite part's when I die//in your arms like a movie." Although "Manchester" is just over four minutes long, it feels like it could go on longer. The tempo picks up in "Brighter Whites," a song which is catchier and slightly less ethereal than the preceding songs.

The strongest track in my opinion is "It All Began With A Burst," which is memorable and musical. The pace slows down again with "Wonder Woman, Wonder Me," only to pick back up on "Chester's Burst Over The Hamptons." "Chester's Burst Over The Hamptons" uses more synths than the rest of the album, almost sounding like a 70s science fiction show at the close.

Another particularly strong track is "I Am The Antichrist To You." "I Am The Antichrist To You" is soft, flowing, and gorgeous. The album closes with "Beat The Bright Out Of Me," the longest and most ethereal track on the album, and quite a flowing piece in its own right.

There are no weak spots in 151a. Each track has a wonderful sound and overall build. The instruments are present and absent at exactly the right moments. 151a may not turn out to be my favorite album of the year, but it is certainly a work of art.

Kishi Bashi is K Ishisbashi's solo project. K Ishibashi has worked with of Montreal and Regina 

Spektor. 151a is his debut full-length album.

151a is out April 10th and can be purchased here.

Concert Review: Of Montreal in Cleveland, OH

Seldom have I seen a crowd so geared up for the performance they are awaiting as the audience at the Beachland Ballroom on Thursday.

Kishi Bashi took the stage alone at around 8:30, and began to play a set that instantly entranced the crowd. Bashi used his violin and live samples to play some of the most incredible and musically sound pieces I've heard live in a long time. His mastery of both pizzicato and conventional violin bowing were incredible to hear and observe visually.

Kishi Bashi

Kishi Bashi surrendered the stage to Loney Dear, a Swedish duo that were received with much less enthusiasm. 

Loney Dear

Loney Dear put on a reasonably good set, but the crowd was too energized for their soft, calm songs. It didn't help that, after Kishi Bashi, their music seemed a lot less impressive.

There was a long wait in between Loney Dear and Of Montreal. Lots of light adjustments happened, each time stirring the crowd into a frenzy. When the band finally took the stage, they launched instantly into an almost non-stop set of songs from their last four albums. Each song seemed to bring a new level of excitement to the crowd. 

The set was lively and energetic and just loud enough not to be too loud. The crowd danced and sang along to every song. The band ended their set and it was almost immediately clear that there would be an encore. Two people dressed as pigs returned to the stage and welcomed the band back out after a few minutes. Of Montreal then launched into a ton of songs, one right after the other, mostly from Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? and Skeletal Lamping.

There was not a lot of talking or pausing during the band's set or encore set, it was mainly just song after glorious song.

After the show, as we headed back to our vehicle, we noticed that lead singer Kevin Barnes was surrounded by a small crowd at the exit door. He was very sweet about signing things for people and taking pictures with fans.

Seeing Of Montreal isn't just a good show, it's a great experience.