Purple Mountains

Description

You know this voice. An old friend is back. This voice is certainly an integral part of your mental jukebox. It is filed away with at least two dozen other tracks by the Silver Jews, which officially became classics in 2009, when this voice, that of David Berman, announced his musical retirement. Ten years have passed since then. No one knows where all that time went. Yet here he is again, Purple Mountains is the new pseudonym of David Berman. Purple Mountains is also the name of what will become one of his greatest albums. A self-titled album filled with a spirit and a double-edged wisdom, steeped in that blend of handcrafted rock joys and sorrows. The songs are impeccably produced by Jarvis Taveniere and Jeremy Earle of Woods, polished like a floor before being danced on for a night of romance. David Berman presents his most honest portrait to date, candidly confessing to an almost total breakdown right from the start, before venturing into more nuanced territory of self-critique and professional erasure. A form of thought that struggles to be heard in this illegitimate country gives Purple Mountains all its interest and beauty. A thieving poet who has stolen the most precious moments, Berman, now stripped and repentant, shares his most miserable moments in minute detail. Never has Berman laid himself so bare to entertain others, even though David himself keeps his distance from the party. It takes little time to realize that this is one of those essential, timeless albums.