NO ONE ELSE COULD HAVE DONE THIS // The Microphones - The Glow, Pt. 2 // Reaction 

As someone who has battled with depression and grief before, I don’t think any album i’ve ever heard has encapsulated the feeling of being depressed as accurately as this album. The album doesn’t tell how you how depression feels, it gives you a taste of it, makes you feel the sensations of it. Both sonically and lyrically. Will forever be one of the greatest and most important musical works ever to me for that reason.

I’ve listened to “The Glow, pt 2” countless times, and here’s my take: The instrumentals never left me feeling “frustrated”. I feel like they perfectly paint the picture offered up by the lyrics. In “I Want Wind to Blow” (as well as the title track), Phil is frustrated that he is being made to sit with his awful feelings in the aftermath of a breakup. He wants so badly to move on, but is unable to until he processes his emotions. That’s why half the track is instrumental; he’s illustrating that exact feeling to you. He’s stuck in a loop, and when his frustration with that boils over, the drums distort. The piano keys are being slammed relentlessly. Yet, it’s the same melody. The same mundanity. Every track on the album is cohesive in this way, where every minuscule element meaningfully contributes to the wider narrative. It’s pure, distilled art. 10/10

Not that far in, but the whole appeal of early microphones is viewing Phil in the same way you might view an artist like Foetus, who once remarked that his instrument is the studio. The whole reason the project is called The Microphones is because Phil was specifically interested in the art of home recording. To me tese are almost like indie soundscapes more than indie songs, he uses musical passages like materials and things like volume, panning, and distortion are just as important to the composition as the actual songwriting. I'm only on the reaction to The Glow Pt 2 so far but I'm assuming further down the line in the video you see the specific value of this based on the caption of "nobody else could do this" on the video, because really like nobody else ever even tried this formula like he did if you're familiar with deconstructed club it's almost like deconstructed indie? if that makes sense *Edit: 2:43:12 haha cool I think ur starting to come around to it *Edit 2: I think the lyrics on my warm blood are supposed to be a sort of cynically optimistic inversion of the whole "there's no end", he feels completely defeated but he knows there is still life left in him by way of the insects sensing his warm blood even when he assumes he is completely cold and bled dry, his pulse continues and there is still no end, in the face of having to continue through your limits there is almost no other choice but optimism, it's like a cliffhanger saying eventually he is going to get up again, to me at least

would highly recommend the follow up to this album (what caused Phil to switch over to his new moniker), "Mount Eerie." It pushes forward a lot of the same themes of existentialism and death while also being viewed as a continuation of the story of the main character in the album.

this is certainly not an album for everyone but if you're able to put preconceptions and the idea of palatability aside, embracing it for what it is, it really shows its true colors. phil elverum is someone i really look up to because he makes art for himself first and foremost. everything he makes is presented in such a raw and genuine form that, for someone like me at least, it just becomes that much more relatable

i think the face you make during 'Samurai Sword' is how the music is supposed to feel. you may not like it but the overblown sound has a reason

That repeated foghorn sounding note is definitely eerie. It represents death imo (be that metaphorical or literal).

TGP2 is a very challenging record, but once it clicks with you the payoff is soooo rewarding, and i think that's why it is so beloved today/has influenced so many indie musicians over the years. every song is an "anti-song" in the sense that the melodies and the rhythms are there, but they're either smothered in dissonance, layered so heavily with other elements, or they're abandoned and replaced so quickly. the way everything shifts and mutates so rapidly, combined with the depressing lyricism, forces the listener to feel so many emotions in just one song, song after song.

This is how I interpret "My warm Blood": This is kind of a full circle moment as the guitars at the very end are indeed from "My Wind to blow". And the ongoing heartbeats in the long "void" of music in the song could draw back to the title track, especially the lyrics "My heart beats loudly". And kind of the point of the glow pt. 2 is that there is no end, as he ends the lyrics to the song this way. So My warm blood kind of represents the same idea but in a different way because the very end of the album ties back to the very beginning. This could represent just life being caught in a vicious circle you try to escape but are not able to. I don't really know if you can follow my thought process here. This kind of makes my warm blood in my opinion one of the more important songs in this album. I don't necessarily revisit this song but really appreciate it for what it does to the whole picture of the album. Loved the reaction!

They’re in the same crowd as Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Revolutionary Hydra, Death cab for cutie, 764-Hero, and so on. When the first Built to Spill record came out, it changed the sound of the Northwest. BTS influenced all those bands.

You gotta listen to the follow-up called Mount Eerie (not the project, but tthe album. Well, the project is great too, but I think listening to Mount Eerie after The Glow Pt.2 has not only semantic and lyrical sense as it works kinda like an afterthought to The Glow but it is a straight up evolution sonically and musically from the ideas established before)

Oh and that "bong" sound throughout the album is not a guitar note. It's a foghorn, like those ones on ships.

This is the best glow pt.2 reaction on youtube, watching you shift your perspective halfway through was so raw and fits with humanistic theme of the album so well. This was awesome to watch and even changed how I viewed a bunch of the songs in return. I gained a much greater appreciation for map and it hit me harder than it usually does.

This album has an atmosphere that I’ve never heard in any other musical project. Phil Elverum’s songwriting and approach to art is organic and ties so well with the themes of nature, life, and the universe. This is, uncontested, my favorite album of all time, nothing comes close.

Hi, saw this video pop up in my recommended and decided to give some feedback + some context coming from someone that has listened this album for years (and in general is a big fan of Phil's work). Starting with the comparison to other indie rock bands. From what I can understand you abbandoned that idea midway through, and I don't think it's really accurate, but you were correct in assuming that there wasn't a lot of this pre-2001. You had The Mountain Goats, Elliot Smith and Neutral Milk Hotel, but nothing really had this pervasive fuzziness and specific noise rock approach to songs, so Phil was really ahead of its time with this, inspiring projects like Fleet Foxes, Sufjan Stevens, Natrural Snow Buildings and in general he can be seen as the pioneer of all the DIY folk of the past 20 years. To touch on the production, you're once again correct in assuming that most instruments aren't spliced or looped, but you're heavily underesrtimating the production work that went behind the album. Lo-Fi doesn't mean low effort or "yeah let's leave it like this, it's fine enough". All of the choices are heavily deliberate and multiple takes were made specifically to capture certain dissonances or ideas. Just for reference the album was published by K-Records (Beat Happening) and recorded in the same studio as some Modest Mouse's albums. Phil himself commented on the album being *specifically* made for headphone users in mind, which is clearly evident with every re-listen. If you listen to them enough times you end up understanding that almost each song has an immense production value, where themes and ideas are layered and fleeting in a way that, I agree, makes them hard to identify and follow at a glance, but become surprising and incredible when you pick them up and the track evolves from "a wall of sounds". Next, about the themes and ideas. This is one of those great pieces of art that draws a connection between things that people never noticed before. It's not just about love, depression, longing. It's also about that. And it's not even about nature or the connections we have with it. It's about being a being living thing, in a macro(micro)cosmic world that has giant mountains, planets, insects, trees, and you, with your own raw existence. I'm clearly not going to explain what you (or anyone else) is supposed to feel, but this is genuinely the most visceral and natural album to ever exist. And to conclude: I haven't watched your other videos so I don't know enough about your background, but from what I could tell you come from a "scolarly" background. This is to say that, someone that listened to music, liked some of it, decided he wanted to make it and then decided to study how to make it. Which is absolutely a reasonable approach (i.e. classical music), but is in direct juxtaposition with what The Glow pt.2 represents. This album is not for you, it's not for me, it's not for anyone (while at the same time being for everyone). It is the purest example of "I have feelings. I want to express them. How do I do it?", instead of "I want to write a song. I have feelings. How do I write a song that sounds good about those feelings?". There is a fundamental difference there, that allows the former approach to immediately disregard any canonical approaches to songwriting and think directly in expressionist terms. I'm phisically moved by some sounds in the album, because the ground truth wasn't some academic rule about how to sound good. This is one of the purest expressions of being, and Phil deserves the world. (Thanks for listening to it, I appreciated you taking the time!)

This album got a lot of critical aclaim from music sites like Pitchfork that were the "taste makers" of the early days of indie music online. I think they got the #1 album of 2001. In those days, it was hard to find out about "underground" or more out of the norm music and so I think a lot of the following comes from this. I also think it rides off of the "outsider music" feel and the mystic of the story of one guy in the northwest writing/recording/playing everything. I love putting on this album every once in awhile. I more enjoy listening to Mirah who was produced by Phil and is more polished as well some of the low fi stuff like Kurt Blau from those K-records days.

just wanted to point out that Microphones and Mount Eerie are Phil's solo projects. He often has collaborators on his albums but overall its just him

The panning on the guitar on Instrumental is my favorite thing about it! Lol It sounds hypnotic and pretty and must've been difficult to track considering there's no way a metronome was used

Finished the video just now and can say - great analysis as always. The glow pt.2 as a song even though not being without issues is one of my favorite songs ever. The distorted guitar intro after the relatively monotone opener for me shows the monotone first days after the breakup and then the violent entrance of negative thoughts on the glow pt.2.

1:25:12 On frustration: As a fan, The Glow Pt.2's intricacies and dissonances as well as lyrics brings a point on a discussion I saw in a short video on Instagram. The video portrayed a patient and his psychologist trying to elaborate on why some people are always listening to sad music, even when they are apparently on, let's say, a higher point in their lives. The patient and the psychologist enter in sort of a "rapid-fire of thoughts" conversation which leads to the conclusion that the patient feels like listening to sad music all the time because not only he identified with those feelings at one point on his life but also being that it works as an indirect way of revisiting those feelings, and for that indirect nature it also feels like he's not alone in that regard. Speaking for myself, such as the patient in that video I also feel the same way about The Glow Pt.2 (and other media as well). The thing is that Phil Elvrum managed to portray those feelings in such a specific manner as you're identifying from a Composer's standpoint that I can't help but feel in awe for it. Everything in it is so intrically connected in a way that we as viewers of this video can see your cathartic process. But the difference from a casual listener such as myself is that when I listened to it for the first time and other times as well is that for me it basically summed up to the thought of "Oh. I've been here before." (obviously it's more complex than that but I'm keeping this way for practical reasons) As a closing thought I guess that speaks a lot about you as a music reviewer.

1:16:43 the repeating sound at the end of songs is actually the tone of a foghorn, something Phil heard often growing up in Anacortes

I've always taken this album to be not just about death, but specifically about suicide, and even more specifically about the mind space one has to be in and the journey one takes to get there to consider something like that. This helps explain a lot of the lo-fi production choices as from the very start the narrator is in a very ugly headspace. Like most tragic stories I do think this album takes on a different feeling once you know the end, and a repeated listen lets the eerie foghorn take on its true nature which is that of the inevitability represented by Samurai Sword and My Warm Blood.

I heard this album for the first time within a week of my mom passing away. I was 18, she was 40. It was sudden, not expected. This album carried me through the most traumatic experience of my life up to this point. Headless Horseman kills me.

This album is unbelievable, it has such a unique feeling and atmosphere that somehow feels human and other worldly at the same time. Phil’s lyrics are haunting and beautiful. It’s amazingly paced and is very cohesive despite such drastic shifts in tone and genre. Thanks for reviewing it :) The follow up album called Mount Eerie is also definitely one to check out

I always get full on chills and goosebumps in the middle section of the title track.

I'm guessing you didn't realise that this album was written and mostly played by one man

This is my favourite album of all time and I love how you analyze music so this is going to be amazing

This is an absolutely incredible review. I really appreciate that although you didn't find it to be for your taste you were able to recognize the artistry and just how much intent went into it. Often people who are well versed in music have trouble looking past imperfections and seeing how much they can add to a work. I really hope to see you to do more indie. Specifically would love to hear your thoughts on Phil's A Crow Looked at Me album under his Mount Eerie moniker, which is focused on his wife's untimely death from cancer when their daughter was 2. Though less challenging from a musical perspective it makes The Glow Part 2 looks like a walk in the part from a lyrical perspective and its a very interesting juxaposition to listen to his thoughts about a very mature and adult situation compared to the young adult heartbreak that The Glow pt 2 is about. Also would love to see some Neutral Milk Hotel, Pavement, Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse, more Fugazi (Waiting Room is their biggest hit but pretty simple compared to some of their later stuff) Either way, your reviews really stand head and shoulders above the rest. Thanks for your hard work!

We definitely need an Mount Eerie reaction, it continues where The Glow Pt.2 ended and is way more ambitious and has a more well produced sound that you would probably liked more. Phil is a stellar songwriter, maybe other projects he made like "Dawn" would suit more your emo tastes haha, thanks for the great video as always

Now I'm waiting for A Crow Looked at Me

Great analysis!! I would definitely recommend checking out the sister album to this "Mount Eerie" or Phil Elverum's other band of the same name

I see the one reoccuring note as the sun, it’s ever present in his sound worlds, and I think it shows up in Mt Eetie

Would be really interesting to hear your thoughts on this album's sequel Mount Eerie (The Microphones album, not Phil's subsequent project). Think it's well worth digging into this albums narrative, and the narrative of Mount Eerie and some of Phil's inspirations (nature, where he grew up, Twin Peaks [which inspired the use of the foghorn throughout this album], black metal/ambient/avant garde music) and The Microphones place and influence in the realm of Lo-Fi music for extra context, there's lots of interesting stuff on their and the albums Wikipedia pages and lots of people have written about all those topics. Mount Eerie is my favourite of the two albums as much as I love this one and it's takes a lot of the ideas from The Glow pt 2 and expands on them and takes them even further, would be cool to hear your perspective on it coming off this album.

Yeah, I enjoy extended repetitive sections if they’re done well. That doesn’t mean I’m rocking out to it or something, but that I like what I’m hearing due to its cohesion. I’m not annoyed by it because the stagnation and dark atmosphere come across well. I would say I enjoy the sadness of it. Enjoy =/= fun imo. The thematic/artistic side also comes through.

One of the most important albums I have ever heard in my life, I didn't think I could feel so many emotions with songs until I heard this album some years ago

man it’s really puzzling to me how people can think the rhythmic / panning / harmonic intricacies in especially the first two tracks of this song are “mistakes” or messy in a bad way. Sure it’s a bit messy but i think the songs would be far more boring if they were played any differently. Also the harmonies in I Want Wind To Blow are gorgeous in their intense (although sedated) pathos. If every note were absolutely pitch perfect (in equal temperament) music would be so damn boring. Ever heard a just intonated minor 7th interval? very hauntingly powerful; it’s just that we’ve been so conditioned to hear everything in equal temperament.

Maybe check out Phil Elverum's music after he switched to the name Mount Eerie. If you like Headless Horseman I feel like you'd dig some of his more recent more polished stuff. It's still got that heart, the imperfections, etc mind you. Just maybe not as raw as some parts of The Microphones discog

I like the distortion mixed with the indie folky guitar at the end of I want wind to blow bcoz it’s that feeling I only get from some music that feels like when you playing it cool on the outside but inside you feel a violent storm of emotion, and it’s kind of a mind numbing but that’s almost the point through my interpretation

i love this album so much

Do Not Available by the residents immediately

How great. I'm new here id hoped you'd reviewed So Many Dynamos Flashlights it's the most tense album I know. And I'm surprised you've never done an Elliott Smith review

YES!

Great reaction! Do the album Deathconsciousness by have a nice life next please! It's in the same vain; both are 10s

there's no eennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd

after you react to the album Mount Eerie by the Microphones, you should react to the album Microphones in 2020, which is basically a retrospect of the Microphones project

LETS FUCKING GOOOOO

OH MY GOD YOU DID IT!

Love it. Such an outsider experience❤

I never liked this album because it's just too rough for me, which is saying a lot because I have a great appreciation for rough, DIY sounds. I think the timing inconsistencies are what really spoil it for me. There are a lot of beautiful moments but I wish my guy would have bought a metronome. 56:50 "I could listen to a whole album of this." Do yourself a favor and listen to Lost Wisdom and Dawn by Mount Eerie. (a later project of the same guy who made this album) Both are absolutely jaw-doppingly gorgeous, especially lost wisdom. And thankfully Phil bought a metronome;)

Try a full album reaction to Modest Mouse’s The Moon & Antarctica!

You should react to more car seat headrest

I think it’s fair to say Map is the best one. I think it is personally, though the first 3 tracks come extremely close.

Maybe check out Elliot Smith? Roman Candle is a good jumping off point

you should react to the previous album and the next one, they are kind of a trilogy. And also Microphones in 2020, where phil give a look in all of his life

You just reacted to a top 5 album of all time. How do you feel 😅

HOLY SHIT. NO WAY

FINALLY A

wow! a 3hrs 23mins video with a superiority sentiment in the title... who takes this much time out of their schedule to listen to sb talking about sth they could just experience themselves in way less time?!?!?!

Also Phile Evrum isn’t the most virtuous musician, it could very well be that he’s playing out of time because he’s trash at guitar haha but his strength is concepts, so gratifying, melody, and songwriting, and he’s a great producer

We listen to so much on time, quantized , filler music that when anyone plays something "off" its rejected. The Glow Pt2 is an ice pick that abruptly skewers into your hand and hits the table below and demands you sit down and listen to its message.