ZapTown

Typhoon
Hunger And Thirst
Tender Loving Empire
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Links:
Typhoon: http://www.myspace.com/wearetyphoon
Tender Loving Empire: http://www.tenderlovingempire.com/

Hunger And Thirst is a journey, a journey through experience; a journey into the soul. Given the relationship of the seven members in the band (they either live together, live nearby, and all have known each other for years), and the musicianship of all combined, it only strengthens that bond. So it should be no surprise just how good Hunger And Thirst really is.

You should know the Portland scene by now and its close-knit camaraderie with bands like Blind Pilot and Curtains For You. Typhoon only richens that ideology. Within Hunger And Thirst we can feel the sense of strength even when the songs are not all that positive. But it’s what gives us that sense that this is real, and these people are real.

With a song like “White Liars,” it is a song that pulls over from the conglomeration of an indie orchestra and says to us, come here and let’s just talk, you and me. The minimalism of the music and snare cadence is sobering as Kyle Morton sings, “There’s a violence in everyone.” The song proves that you do not have to have every instrument blasting full steam to make good music. And this is also a song that proves this band knows exactly when to sonically explode.

While “Old Haunts, New Cities,” immediately beckons dusty Old West soundtrack quality, there are songs that you have to give it a little time to understand in what context the band is trying to convey. “Mouth Of A Cave” sounds like an fireside sing along in a Sunday School classroom, “Belly Of The Cave” follows with the brooding punchline and lovely folk rock revivalist context and a confessional as the band questions the answers. The anguish in voice and in music at the end tells us everything.

What we take from Hunger And Thirst is something incredible and magnificent.

 Typhoon - Starting Over (from the album "Hunger And Thirst"): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download