{"product_id":"desert-of-shallow-effects","title":"Desert of Shallow Effects","description":"Personnel: Miles Kurosky (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, percussion, background vocals); Nik Freitas (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, melodica, piano, Mellotron, bongos, maracas, tambourine, hand claps, percussion, background vocals); Patrick Abernethy (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Mellotron); John Schott (acoustic guitar, resonator guitar); Ian Bjornstad (acoustic guitar); Garth Steel Klippert (electric guitar, autoharp, tenor saxophone, pans); Eli Crews (electric guitar, toy piano, Mellotron, glockenspiel, bass guitar, background vocals); Patrick Noel (electric guitar, tambourine); John Cregan (electric guitar); John Finkbeiner (banjo); Jennifer Mayer (violin); Scott Rosenberg (flute, tenor saxophone); Isabel Douglass (accordion); Aaron Novik (clarinet); Kyle Bruckmann (oboe, English horn); Nate Lumbard (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); John Ingle (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Gene Baker (trumpet, percussion); James Fenwicke Holmes (French horn); Michael Rinta (trombone, tuba); Bob Hoag (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Clavinet, tambourine, background vocals); Graham Connah (piano); Smith Dobson (vibraphone, marimba, drums); Moe Staiano (timpani, percussion); Samantha Kurosky (hand claps, background vocals); The Bye Bye Blackbirds, Tif Sigfrids (background vocals).\u003cbr\u003ePhotographer: Andrew Forgash.\u003cbr\u003eMiles Kurosky was the frontman for San Francisco indie poppers Beulah from their inception in the late '90s until their split in 2004, and even though Kurosky began recording his first solo album, The Desert of Shallow Effects, in 2006, the process would be a long, laborious one, resulting in a six-year gap between his former band's breakup and his re-emergence as a recording artist. He was far from idle during that period, though, which becomes apparent before even hearing the first note of Shallow Effects; simply glancing at the dizzying list of players and instruments employed here will tell you that this was a massive undertaking. Even Kurosky's liner notes call the album's gestation process \"lengthy and confusing,\" tellingly describing a session whose purpose was to \"add the kitchen sink.\" Still, for all that, Shallow Effects is almost shockingly coherent. Instead of a big, sprawling mess, the arrangements -- which incorporate everything from glockenspiel to Mellotron -- offer complex but controlled layers of sound that never seem too thick or unwieldy. Stylistically, the lo-fi, high-concept psych-pop spirit of the Elephant 6 collective that ushered in Beulah's early work can still be discerned if you listen hard enough, but Kurosky has grown up, too; psychedelic excess and stoner whimsy for whimsy's sake have largely been left behind by an obvious desire to put songs before sonic trappings and impart specific ideas in songs with linear, detail-oriented lyrics. That said, the wide array of tonal colors on offer here is in itself an appealing sort of orchestral pop taster's menu, with horns, strings, tuned percussion, and more tickling your ear at any given point. And to his credit, Kurosky has avoided the overt Brian Wilson-isms that might subsume a project like this in the hands of someone with a less singular vision. For however much of an influence the classic `60s L.A. pop sound may be on Kurosky, The Desert of Shallow Effects never sounds anything less than completely contemporary. ~ J. Allen","brand":"MovieMars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51522788294943,"sku":"826663117615","price":13.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0679\/7833\/0399\/files\/f225f9be8753b79a21fefb5e991ed5f7.jpg?v=1777887164","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemars.com\/products\/desert-of-shallow-effects","provider":"MovieMars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}