Review | Typhoon – White Lighter

[W]eareTyphoon is the twitter handle for Portland OR Orchestral folk/pop band, and it’s aptly named, as a 11 piece band, you’d probably have to accept the mentality of WE. That’s exactly what makes this band so incredible, and their new record White Lighter, so captivating. The band by sheer size has the ability to swap between sweeping string assortments, to all out rock at a moments notice, all fronted by solid lyrics and vocals from Kyle Morton.

White Lighter, is one damn mighty fine, beautiful record, that plays incredibly from beginning to end. It has a two headed monster, an almost mercurial ability to range its moments from quiet, introspective folk / pop songs into an all out aural assault with distorted guitars, pounding drums and Morton’s powerful howls.

You may have heard it, but the story goes, Kyle Morton had suffered through multiple organ failures as a result of Lyme disease, and he openly recalled near-fatal experiences and what he learned from them in letters with fans leading up to the record’s release, all of these experiences seem to be influencing songs on the record. You hear death on this record, but it can be followed up by moments of pure joy, and it seems to all makes sense once you frame the record with Morton’s trials. This very much seems to feel like it could have been the struggle between writing your own epitaph, and then progressing back to health, and feeling the joy of life.

These themes can be heard on en masse on standout tracks like “Young Fathers,” “Dreams of Cannibalism,” and one of my favorites the heavily percussion based, “Prosthetic Love.” It’s a record that could seriously rival any other for best of the year, and I’m very much in love with it, and find myself enjoying it the more and more I focus on each song.

Please do yourself a favor, get this record, stop what you are doing and give it forty minutes of your life. I think you’ll find something that is both weighty and powerful, and will bring a little bit of perspective and joy to your day.

Buy White Lighter.

The band will also be touring with Radiation City in support of White Lighter.

September 5-6 Music Fest NW Portland, OR
September 9 The Rickshaw Theatre Vancouver, BC
September 10 The Crocodile Café Seattle, WA
September 11 Top Hat Lounge Missoula, MT
September 12 El Korah Shrine Boise, ID
September 13 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
September 14 Hi-Dive Denver, CO
September 16 The Waiting Room Omaha, NE
September 17 The Old Rock House St. Louis, MO
September 19 Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN
September 20 Schubas Chicago, IL
September 21 Beachland Tavern Cleveland, OH
September 22 Wexner Center Columbus, OH
September 24 The Garrison Toronto
September 25 Pop! Montreal Montreal, QB
September 26 Higher Ground South Burlington, VT
September 27 The Iron Horse Northampton, MA
September 28 Littlefield Brooklyn, NY
September 29 Brighton Music Hall Boston, MA
September 30 Le Poisson Rouge New York, NY
October 1 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, PA
October 4 The High Watt Nashville, TN
October 2 The Rock ‘n Roll Hotel Washington, DC
October 6 Austin City Limits Festival Austin, TX
October 9 Three Links Dallas, TX
October 10 House of Blues Houston, TX
October 12 Lambert’s (ACL aftershow) Austin, TX
October 13 Austin City Limits Festival Austin, TX
October 15 The Loft La Jolla, CA
October 17 The Satellite Los Angeles, CA
October 18 The Independent San Francisco, CA
October 19 WOW Hall Eugene, OR