Search - Album Leaf :: In a Safe Place

Northern Lights

Kristin Cotterell | Los Angeles, CA United States | 06/28/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"At first listen, I was struck by two different approaches of appreciation one can take when listening to this album. The first was to recognize that these lovely tracks could serve as a total catalyst for pleasant introspection and quiet musings... not unlike nighttime driving on a deserted road lined with backlit trees, fond memories of love or childhood or past epiphanies swelling, and the urge to either relish in the aloneness or to hold someone's hand, dammit.
The other was to take into conscious consideration that this album was created in Iceland: a crystallized country gilded in white, which also touts some of the more peaceful, moving, and innovative music of our generation (think: Bjork, Sigur Ros, etc.). So here you have Jimmy Lavalle, aka Album Leaf and a founding member of Trisetza, who has already proven that he understands the purpose of instrumental music: to create a soundtrack for our moments without using lyrics to tell us how to feel. This fella displaced himself from his cozy residence in San Diego, CA (a city which also has music-related bragging rights, ie; Pinback, Drive Like Jehu, Black Heart Procession, need I go on..?), and moved his ass to the inspirational country of Iceland to create this album.
A Safe Place, indeed.
But don't get me wrong: San Diego does represent on this album, as do Icelandic artists and (gasp) lyrics, all of which turn out to be very fortunate decisions. Jon Thor Birgisson of Sigur Ros and Pall Jenkins of Black Heart Procession both contribute their skills to the album, including vocals on songs "On Your Way" (Jenkins) and "Over the Pond" (Birgisson), which happen to be two of the more noteworthy tracks on the album.
Although each song featured on A Safe Place contain unique qualities, a track-by-track dissection doesn't seem necessary for this review. They bleed into each other so nicely that the album is more easily appreciated as a sum than a collection of parts. Friendly beats, both traditional/organic and electronically sequenced in a quietly IDM-influenced style, balance out the soft ambience of the signature organ and drifting guitar melodies. The construction of each track is simple yet deliberate. Like water molecules forming a snowflake, each note serves its purpose to create something shy and beautiful, yet with enough of a pop element to keep the listener awake.
Case in point, I love instrumental music but am severely tired of hearing gratuitously dramatic/apocalyptic/filled with swelling strings, guitar feedback, or general crap noisiness in such music to theoretically "make up" for the lack of lyrics. A Safe Place indulges in none of the above. On the contrary, the Album Leaf keeps it simple and lovely in a refreshingly unpretentious fashion. And while it's not the most innovative or exciting thing to hit the block as of late, you can turn to this album when you want to hear something with ethereal elegance that will keep you engaged and also make you feel at home. In my opinion, A Safe Place is a safe bet. Listen while dreaming of angular glaciers, northern lights, and the moments of your life worthy of reminiscence."

Oh so beautiful

A. Kohler | Louisville, KY | 06/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is my first Album Leaf album, and is the first time I've ever heard more than 45 seconds of any given song from their catalog. Upon first listen I was amazed by the lush arrangments, steady beats, and beautiful sounds. I've been listening for a few hours straight now and I'm still in awe.This album create an atmosphere of warmth and rest, an album perfect for that fall day at home with a signifacant other (or by yourself) or falling asleep at night. There are beautiful string arrangments, soft soothing guitars and drums that fit perfectly. They don't overtake the song and drown out the rest of the instruments, the drums instead relax into the music and create a perfect mixture. Every song is soothing and very relaxed. This is probably one of the most beautiful albums I own. There really isn't much else that can be said about this album. It's beautiful, relaxing, and amazingly put together. Many of the songs are instrumental but a few contain vocals, one song (Over the Pond) has a guest appearence from the lead singer of Sigur Ros. Thule and Another Day (Revised) are the two stand out tracks for me, neither contain vocals and are full of piano, strings and beautiful textures and layers of sounds. I'll be falling asleep to this tonight and I can't wait to see what dreams will come."

(There's A Great Album) Over The Pond

A. Kohler | 06/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There's something inherently magical about Jimmy LaValle's work with The Album Leaf. His music has this texture to it that's thoroughly relaxing as well as thought-provoking. I had the good fortune of finding his work earlier in September of last year and I have yet to tire of it. In fact, with the release of his latest album, "In A Safe Place," I can feel nothing but excitement for it.First off, this record sounds very similar to the landscape in which it was recorded. You can almost hear the ambience and atmosphere of Iceland in tracks like "Another Day (Revised)" and "Thule." The incorporation of vocals - an aspect I was somewhat skeptical about - turned out wonderfully. Hearing Pall Jenkins (Black Heart Procession), Jon Thor Birgisson (Sigur Ros), and Jimmy LaValle himself sing was wonderful. For Album Leaf purists out there, this record still sounds like LaValle's earlier work, but the addition of a string ensemble, glockenspiel, various percussion instruments, and singing in some of the tracks give it an extra dimension. A dimension that did not disappoint me at all. One can hear the hints of Sigur Ros in this record mainly because Sigur Ros' Jon Thor Birgisson sings on a song and their string ensemble plays, but it still remains as the most solid Album Leaf record I've heard. I highly recommend this."