Two Harbors Release All The Places We Would Rather Be at the Uptown Bar (6/5/09)
What you need to know: The music of Two Harbors is an elegant sojourn to a place where hearts and minds are worn on sleeves. The music speaks and is easily spoken to, and the live show is where the real dialogue between artist and listener occurs.
For about four years I was far removed from the local music scene. Then this website came and of course things changed. With very little on the slate to work from, one of the first things I committed myself to was finding artists that I could feel passionate about. I spent hours on Myspace (I still do), and as I hopped from friend list to friend list I happened upon Two Harbors. The appeal was immediate.
Originally known as Colonial Vipers Attack, the band became Two Harbors after former members relocated to the east and west coasts. Their new album All The Places We Would Rather Be is a collection of eleven songs from the aftermath, that in the words of the band, reflect a “tighter, grander sound.” These comparatives are well chosen. Song after song presses the album forward without a lull, each possessing a consistent energy that near as I can tell, is quintessentially Two Harbors.
The descending chord progression of “You Pulled the Rug Out” was an excellent choice for the album’s beginning track. It’s a somber number in message and spirit, and the instrumental descend contrasts perfectly with the ascending harmonies of the chorus. With this the mood is set, and the listener is encouraged to lay back and relax for the rest of the album. This is important, since vocalist Chris Pavlich’s lyrics seem purposefully sentimental, not the kind of words an artist would want to lose below charging guitars and overpowering percussion. On the second track “”What I Keep Inside” Pavlich sings “…if you could see me now, you might not recognize the beauty that I keep inside my soul.” Somewhere out there someone internalizes such lines, and it might be you just as well as the person behind the inspiration.
Aside from the first two tracks, other album highlights include the harmonious “Drowning” and the track “Only Chance,” with its hooky melody.
Two Harbors (Photo by C. Pittman)
Yet good albums don’t always translate into good live shows, and on this point Two Harbors becomes something more than just a band with another good album. “Tighter and grander” take on a true light when Two Harbors performs live, where the tight is evident in the percussion of Jeremy Bergo (bass) and Shawn Grider (drums). Even a friend who had come along for the show felt compelled to lean towards me and mention that “these guys really know how to play.” Moreover, grandeur was also visible during the Two Harbors set every time Kris Johnson stepped forward to deliver a solo. When the spotlight was (finally) placed upon him, he was a perfect cut-out of everything I’ve come to expect in a lead guitarist cutting a well-placed solo.
But the crème de la crème, that which divides the good from the great, is the larger than life presence of a true artist. This isn’t something learned, it’s something innate, and frontman Chris Pavlich has it. At risk of heaping too many praises on one individual, I offer my most pointed honesty, and this in no way should be interpreted as detracting due praises on the other Two Harbors members.
Chris Pavlich (Photo by C. Pittman)
Pavlich spent the entire first song unblinking. He seemed stoic as he gazed upon the audience, his expression unwaveringly solemn. Writing and speaking heartfelt words are something most of us are inclined to do, even if only within the private scribbles of a diary. But to perform those and deliver them with the same burning passion present during their making; that is artistry. Pavlich does this, and in so doing connects with his audience in ways that many strive their entire lives for. I think he loves his audience, and judging by the reception, they love him right back. A swell and shiver came over me during “Landslide,” when for only a brief portion of the song the band dropped out and it was just Pavlich’s guitar and words. For me, this was and is it!
So here is a lone critical plea I extend to Two Harbors. Write a few more tunes that showcase Pavlich live just as “Landslide” does, because you’re only a breath away from turning this fan into a groupie.
A taste of Two Harbors:
[audio=http://borangutan.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/01-you-pulled-the-rug-out.mp3]
“You Pulled The Rug Out” by: Two Harbors
All The Places We Would Rather Be Tracklist
- You Pulled The Rug Out
- What I Keep Inside
- If I Had Eyes
- Right Now
- Drowning
- So Wrong
- Only Chance
- Silent Treatment
- Landslide
- Will I Ever Find Out
- Went so Far
Kris Johnson (Photo by C. Pittman)
Shawn Grider (Photo by C. Pittman)
Jeremy Bergo (Photo by C. Pittman)
Kris Johnson (Photo by C. Pittman)
Photo by C. Pittman
Links
Two Harbors – Website / Myspace
Purchase All The Places We Would Rather Be at: the Susstones Shop, The Electric Fetus, or Cheapo.
posted June 15th, 2009 at 11:31 am Uncategorized
This was a great show but very loud wish the venue wouldn’t blast the music. I had a hard time shooting the show cause even with ear plugs my ears were hurting.
Yeah, you’re right about the noise levels Chuck, but increasingly that’s become expected at the Uptown Bar. Not saying its for the best, just acknowledging the truth.