Search - Wanderjahr :: Is to Disappear

Though it?s not Wanderjahr's first recording effort (they?ve been on the scene for nearly 7 years) , the album is somewhat of a departure for the band, foregoing the ?live in the studio? approach for a more layered, atmospheric sound. "We wanted to shoot for a more detailed, ?headphones? kind of record with this one" says singer/guitarist/songwriter Mike Clauwaert, "...something you can explore as well as just listen to." And there?s plenty here to explore. Along with more intricate vocal harmony, the band has added a variety of instrumentation to the lysergic stew: banjo, cello, jaw harp, timpani, dobro, a gong, and even the sound of the skin being peeled from a tangerine. Playing on themes of illusion, both literal and metaphoric, "Is to Disappear" conjures images of stage magic... rabbits, doves, magical hats, smoke and mirrors. All the while, the songs are actually painfully human tales of love, loss and disenchantment. It?s not all gloom though. Many of the songs are bittersweet, the dark side making the light all the more illuminating and the joy all the more palpable.