Sharing his loss on A Crow Looked at Me doesn't diminish its impact at all -- even within Mount Eerie's body of work, this is a remarkably powerful and pure album.
‘A Crow Looked at Me’ is a showcase of weakness and cruel reality, prose of lost love, and perhaps the saddest album ever made, and a statement of that magnitude still feels like a disservice.
They are beautifully and simply arranged, but it is not an entertaining album to listen to in any conventional sense, nor can it be shaken off easily. It is, however, the kind of album that makes all others seem frivolous while you’re hearing it.
Pain is the crux of Elverum’s career, and without resorting to any of his brutally stark instrumentation, he offers his most sobering full-length to date, and likely of all time.
Overwhelming and humbling, Elverum’s revelatory work offers a blueprint for others going through similar situations in their own lives, a true testament to the power of art and a loving tribute to Geneviève.
This record possesses immense power to make listeners reflect on their own relationships and mortality. A Crow Looked at Me is a grim memento of the grand injustice of losing those most precious to us.
Even if Elverum is reluctant to label it as such, A Crow Looked at Me is what all art should aspire to be: honest, affecting, and unforgettable.
With A Crow Looked At Me, Elverum has created a work that deals with death, loss and the myriad accompanying emotions in a starkly sobering manner that ultimately proves highly affecting and, most importantly, incredibly real.
For anyone who was ever remotely interested in Mount Eerie or the Microphones, A Crow Looked at Me is a must-listen. But it feels made for a very specific time and place, and the subject matter is tough to stomach and tougher to shake. It’s bleak, but without any of the life-affirming notes you might expect from an album like this.
A Crow Looked At Me is as pure an elegy as you might ever hear, and you’re better off not listening.
A Crow Looked At Me is an unsettling, awkward listen and it might (probably will) make you cry. It’s also a tribute to an amazing 13-year love story and may turn out to be one of the strongest albums of the year.
My longest review...
You who are going to read this review, allow me to take you as this album has put me down and gradually suffocated me in its inevitable reality. I won't force you to undergo the same treatment, I just need someone with whom I will have the illusion of being able to talk. I don't want to write alone on... this thing. Don't let me face it alone.
I'll start by telling you the context. That's reassuring, the context is fixed, it's objective. In February 2015, Geneviève ... read more
OH MY GOD I CAN'T STOP CRYING
I hope one day I have a love for someone as strong as this.
P. Elverum´s recent learning-process about dealing with the death of a beloved-one is at full exposure on his new LP as Mount Eerie, A Crow Looked at Me (an incredibly suitable title at that). Here, the famous singer/songwriter takes the most bare tools at his disposal and crafts a last requiem for his deceased wife, seemingly hopeful she will look at him from the skies and receive his most honest message.
Anyone going into this album might be surprised by the sheer open-hearted quality ... read more
More poetry than music. Beautiful, and miserable. For the most part how this sounds does not appeal to me, the writing is what makes this gripping. 'Soria Moria' is incredible, and serving as a turning point with Phil finally addressing his daughter instead of his wife in the final track 'Crow' makes for such an impactful ending. I do not plan on returning to this.
the lyrical content is very emotional; heartbreaking.
sadly, the performance is lacking a bit.
1 | Real Death 2:27 | 95 |
2 | Seaweed 3:01 | 95 |
3 | Ravens 6:39 | 97 |
4 | Forest Fire 4:15 | 94 |
5 | Swims 4:07 | 95 |
6 | My Chasm 2:22 | 94 |
7 | When I Take Out the Garbage at Night 2:25 | 92 |
8 | Emptiness, Pt. 2 3:28 | 93 |
9 | Toothbrush / Trash 3:52 | 96 |
10 | Soria Moria 6:33 | 96 |
11 | Crow 2:21 | 95 |
#1 | / | Earbuddy |
#1 | / | Norman Records |
#1 | / | Tiny Mix Tapes |
#2 | / | Digital Trends |
#2 | / | NOW Magazine |
#2 | / | The Daily Beast |
#3 | / | The Needle Drop |
#3 | / | The New York Times: Jon Caramanica |
#3 | / | Treble |
#3 | / | Vulture |