Mobilize: A Genuine, Warm, and Thoughtful Album
Written: Sep 08 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful vocals, arrangements, and melodies...
Cons: Too few people have heard the album...
The Bottom Line: There's nothing bad that could possibly be said about Mobilize. It is light, whimsical, charming, and a modern classic. One of the best of 2001 without question.
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| lambchops's Full Review: Mobilize by Grant Lee Phillips |
Truly excellent music lacks boundaries and does not adhere to a fad or a genre. Artists with this rare talent can be just as well appreciated now as they will be in twenty years or were two decades ago. Unfortunately, all too often the most talented writers and vocalists and musicians go through life relatively unnoticed. This shortsightedness certainly is at least in part to blame for the relatively stagnancy of the industry.
One timeless, boundless, and innately brilliant artist is California native Grant-Lee Phillips. Don’t recognize the name? You should…see--he actually performed under the alias Grant-Lee Buffalo as a part of that band throughout the 1990’s. After four albums with that act, Phillips struck out on his own with 2000’s Ladies’ Love Oracle followed by 2001’s Mobilize. Both albums proved to be genius with the most recent hitting home in a way that few works have and can. Phillips is a master of his art, a master who will likely remain just barely peeking from out the shadows. But with that said, his talent is appreciated by many contemporary artists and included on their albums. Phillips has worked formally with Robyn Hitchcock, Harvey Danger, Michael Penn, and Mark Everett (aka E, The Eels).
Phillips’ voice is in one word amazing. Soothing, smooth, listing, and with a hint of melancholy he assembles some of the most appealing and worthy folk-pop of the past decade. In fact, maybe the best comparisons can be made between Phillips and creative soul mates like Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Buckley, and even the slightly quirkier Jim White. But whereas Wainwright may be a bit too rich and thick and Everett is probably slightly too strange for mainstream listeners, Phillips makes bright and profoundly poignant music.
Mobilize is thus far Phillips’ greatest work. It is so perfect, so ridiculously amazing that listening to it sends emotional chills down my spine. That, my friends, happens only once in a very great while and has only been accomplished by a few artists including Led Zeppelin, the Eels, Jim White, Fiona Apple, and most recently The Polyphonic Spree. Phillips is without question a very, very special artist. And his music? Well, it truly must be heard to be believed. Mobilize is perfectly arranged—it is a sweet, gentle, and highly emotional album. It is the perfect soundtrack to most every situation. Grant Lee Phillips has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has what it takes to be respected.
It takes but one flick of a button to realize that the words I’ve spoken are truths. Put Mobilize in your stereo. I dare any fan of modern singer-songwriters to find fault with Phillips and his music. Mobilize is the perfect collection of the perfect length of perfectly performed and produced songs. And from the start of this solo LP I find myself mesmerized by the glimmering guitar melodies. It is complex, but at the same time gently soothing and outstandingly beautiful. Phillips demands your attention—and he deserves it. Every song was written and performed by Phillips. So not only is this album an incredible accomplishment, it is his incredible accomplishment alone.
Mobilize starts off the journey with the exquisite See America. The song immediately puts a goofy smile across my face. The melody itself is wonderful and whimsical and is instantly memorable. Phillips’ performance is rich and bright—this song is one of the album’s best and most certainly a perfect way to kick off an overall brilliant release.
Humankind continues down the path to perfection. Once again featuring a lovely melody, and slightly upbeat tempo, and Phillips’ passionate and somber voice the song is everything I’d hoped it would be. As with all of his songs, the words are thoughtful and definitely worth noting:
If only humankind was not so heartless now
Heartless now
It's hard to love your fellow man
However can I help myself
From harboring such evil
As Mobilize continues, I’m increasingly impressed. One major downfall of many albums is that they start out strong and by the second half of the material the quality has waned to the point of disinterest. Phillips suffers from no such malady. Marked with a muffled guitar, light percussion, and outstanding vocals Love’s A Mystery is yet another example of his capabilities. Sadness Soot is a heavier, slightly funkier song. It highlights Phillips’ ability to change up his voice. In fact, here I have to mention that in many ways he reminds me of a blend of the sporadically throaty Royston Langdon (Spacehog) and the breathy although confident maturity of Jeff Buckley. This album is really THIS good.
We All Get a Taste is just as memorable as the rest of these songs. The melody builds wonderfully to the apex of the chorus. It takes but two or three listens for these songs to permanently imbed in the psyche. I feel as though Mobilize has always been with me, yet I’ve only owned it for a few months. I’d gander a guess that this particular independent release is one of the most notable albums of any kind in 2001.
A shiver immediately tickles down my spine with the agelessly dazzling Spring Released. It is a tight, enchanting, and truly majestic pop song. American pop really doesn’t get better than this. Phillips sounds amazing. His writing is fascinating. And then there is the expressive performance. Everything from the funky drums to the harmonica to the up-tempo melody is seamless. And the end of the song really is worth waiting for. Phillips sans every other instrument—sheer brilliance!
The quirky although still wonderful Lazy Drowning may not be the best song on the album but it is still so much better than most all other American pop in existence today or ever before. Like A Lover begins with a very, very sparse arrangement. As it continues, more and more elements are added. Though, with that said it takes a while so listeners are granted the pleasure of hearing Phillips essentially acoustically for most of the song. I believe it highlights exactly why he has garnered so much respect.
Title track Mobilize presents a thumping cadence fronted by a slightly muffled Phillips. Again, I’m not exactly blown away but one four-star song by no means hurts the album. Especially considering that the song that follows, Beautiful Dreamers, returns to the upbeat equation executed just as well as earlier. A more pensive and thoughtful Phillips is portrayed on Sleepless Lake. Memorable and crystalline, the song is probably one of the most appealing to people maybe not as keen on his usually slightly off-kilter nature. I prefer some of the other songs to this one, but it is still wonderful. April Chimes wraps it all up with a soft acoustic guitar and restrained vocals.
As far as singer-songwriters go, Phillips is unique and innovative. Not just that, but his music is just enough “outside the box” to suck in a wide variety of listeners. Unfortunately, Mobilize is a bit difficult to get hold of. It must be bought (usually) online. But the purchase is definitely worth shipping and handling. Songs including but not limited to See America, Humankind and Spring Released resonate most perfectly. But with that said Mobilize is in and of itself a masterful stroke of genius.
It is one of very few must-own albums.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. See America
02. Humankind
03. Love's A Mystery
04. Sadness Soot
05. We All Get A Taste
06. Spring Released
07. Lazily Drowning
08. Like A Lover
09. Mobilize
10. Beautiful Dreamers
11. Sleepless Lake
12. April Chimes
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lambchops
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 in Music |
 - Top 50 |
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Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan
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