Ethan Rose Ceiling Songs (Locust Music)
At first glance, Ceiling Songs, the third album from Portland’s Ethan Rose, seems overly precious: silvery gray cover, flowery name, and a trio of songs called “One,” “Two,” and “Three.” Honestly, it sat on my desk for a while. But when I listened at last, I felt stupid for not doing so long, long before. Rose created Ceiling Songs by removing notes from an old-school “Happy Birthday” player piano roll and a “Jingle Bells” music box, then added strings, brass, percussion and a smidgen of electronics. You hear everything from scratch on paper to fingers on keys. The result is gentle without being passive, warm but never oatmeal-boring. It lands somewhere between musique concrete and drone, and it’s arguably the freshest thing you’ll hear this year.
Mairead Case
Punk Planet #77
