With a blend of lo-fi pop melody and guitar-centric indie rock,
The Library Is on Fire
's second album,
Magic Windows, Magic Nights
, serves to remind us why we loved bands like
Dinosaur Jr.
and
Guided by Voices
so much in the first place, while putting a new enough spin on the sound that it doesn't devolve into hero-worshipping mimicry. Considering that the album was recorded by
GBV
producer
Todd Tobias
at
Waterloo Studios
, giving the album its own voice while allowing it to pay tribute to its influences is no small feat. As with their debut,
Cassette
, this album finds frontman
Steve Five
still coming to grips with the 2004 loss of a dear friend, giving the album a heaviness that is both sonic and emotional. It's that plaintive quality that makes
Magic Windows
such a striking album.
Five
manages to convey his loss, grief, and angst with an honesty that's more raw and genuine than most of the so-called "emo" that's floating around these days, without ever making the listener feel uncomfortable or voyeuristic. These aren't the songs of someone who is falling apart, but rather the songs of someone who is coping.
"Gilding the Lily"
really demonstrates the melancholy dynamics at work on the album, where languid vocal melodies and waves of guitar co-exist in a breezy, slacker rock harmony, lazily rocking the listener while delivering bittersweet pop. All in all,
really finds
coming into their own as songwriters with an incredibly solid album that manages to evoke nostalgia for the old days of indie rock while feeling altogether new and interesting. ~ Gregory Heaney