Great Northern‘s Remind Me Where The Light Is is set to hit stores Tuesday (April 28) and I couldn’t think of a better record for you to spend your money on. The California duo of Rachel Stolte and Solon Bixler go grand and heavily produced (that west-coast feel) on their sophomore effort – and you know what? I don’t care – I love it.
Piano-driven, string-laden pop rock has always had a soft spot in my heart, which is exactly what Stolte and Bixler do best. The reason why I mention the production immediately is because Remind Me Where The Light Is seems nearly impossible for a duo to have accomplished. Each song is multi-layered with a full background and pulsating, synth-like instrumentation. Their penchant for anthemic rock is demonstrated immediately upon listening to “Story,” the first track of the album, which indicates a large sound to come.
Great Northern doesn’t have to rely simply on their arrangements, however, as Stolte’s voice shines on each track – she has an incredible ability to voice angst and sound emotive without making her difficult to listen to. Definitely a unique one, she sings with great depth and breadth, as she can really croon those low notes. “Stop,” one of the few songs with Bixler’s vocals at the forefront, is a slower paced album filler, albeit a nice one, but you can tell it’s not the sound Great Northern is truly trying to get across on this album. Stolte and Bixler play off each other’s voices better than most groups I know, as they complement each other beautifully – which is especially notable on “Warning,” a track full of back and forth, gripping harmonies and emotion. Enjoy that and a couple of my other favorites for now before you go out and experience the pleasurable new album from these folks.
Great Northern – “Fingers” [MP3]
Great Northern – “Mountain” [MP3]
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