The Album Leaf

Listening to the Album Leaf, Jimmy LaVelle's pet project, is a lot like taking in the dreariness of another new apartment as it quivers, buzzes and hums like a somnolent beast getting its first lungful of open air. An invigorating, intoxicating energy oozes from the off-white walls, whispering a promise...

By Eryc Eyl

January 18, 2007

Audio By Carbonatix

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Listening to the Album Leaf, Jimmy LaVelle's pet project, is a lot like taking in the dreariness of another new apartment as it quivers, buzzes and hums like a somnolent beast getting its first lungful of open air. An invigorating, intoxicating energy oozes from the off-white walls, whispering a promise of possibility, like the off-gassing of fresh synthetic carpet. Using a sticky adhesive of groovy drum-machine beats and sleepy keys to hang wallpaper of ambient electronic textures and gauzy vocals, the Tristeza guitarist slowly eliminates the ubiquitous beigeness. Then, as ears and eyes relax, the focus blurs and snippets of Tortoise and Eno rise up out of the wallpaper's pattern like the ghosts of all those pre-9/11 post-rock heroes. Gradually, color fills the room as you lean against the freshly papered walls, in a safe place, and drift out of the beige and into the blue again.

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