Customer Reviews

In A Safe Place

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

At first listen, I was struck by two different approaches of appreciation one can take when listening to this album. The first was to recognize that these lovely tracks could serve as a total catalyst for pleasant introspection and quiet musings... not unlike nighttime driving on a deserted road lined with backlit trees, fond memories of love or childhood or past epiphanies swelling, and the urge to either relish in the aloneness or to hold someone's hand, dammit.
The other was to take into conscious consideration that this album was created in Iceland: a crystallized country gilded in white, which also touts some of the more peaceful, moving, and innovative music of our generation (think: Bjork, Sigur Ros, etc.). So here you have Jimmy Lavalle, aka Album Leaf and a founding member of Trisetza, who has already proven that he understands the purpose of instrumental music: to create a soundtrack for our moments without using lyrics to tell us how to feel. This fella displaced himself from his cozy residence in San Diego, CA (a city which also has music-related bragging rights, ie; Pinback, Drive Like Jehu, Black Heart Procession, need I go on..?), and moved his ass to the inspirational country of Iceland to create this album.
A Safe Place, indeed.
But don't get me wrong: San Diego does represent on this album, as do Icelandic artists and (gasp) lyrics, all of which turn out to be very fortunate decisions. Jon Thor Birgisson of Sigur Ros and Pall Jenkins of Black Heart Procession both contribute their skills to the album, including vocals on songs "On Your Way" (Jenkins) and "Over the Pond" (Birgisson), which happen to be two of the more noteworthy tracks on the album.
Although each song featured on A Safe Place contain unique qualities, a track-by-track dissection doesn't seem necessary for this review. They bleed into each other so nicely that the album is more easily appreciated as a sum than a collection of parts. Friendly beats, both traditional/organic and electronically sequenced in a quietly IDM-influenced style, balance out the soft ambience of the signature organ and drifting guitar melodies. The construction of each track is simple yet deliberate. Like water molecules forming a snowflake, each note serves its purpose to create something shy and beautiful, yet with enough of a pop element to keep the listener awake.
Case in point, I love instrumental music but am severely tired of hearing gratuitously dramatic/apocalyptic/filled with swelling strings, guitar feedback, or general crap noisiness in such music to theoretically "make up" for the lack of lyrics. A Safe Place indulges in none of the above. On the contrary, the Album Leaf keeps it simple and lovely in a refreshingly unpretentious fashion. And while it's not the most innovative or exciting thing to hit the block as of late, you can turn to this album when you want to hear something with ethereal elegance that will keep you engaged and also make you feel at home. In my opinion, A Safe Place is a safe bet. Listen while dreaming of angular glaciers, northern lights, and the moments of your life worthy of reminiscence.

This is my first Album Leaf album, and is the first time I've ever heard more than 45 seconds of any given song from their catalog. Upon first listen I was amazed by the lush arrangments, steady beats, and beautiful sounds. I've been listening for a few hours straight now and I'm still in awe.

This album create an atmosphere of warmth and rest, an album perfect for that fall day at home with a signifacant other (or by yourself) or falling asleep at night. There are beautiful string arrangments, soft soothing guitars and drums that fit perfectly. They don't overtake the song and drown out the rest of the instruments, the drums instead relax into the music and create a perfect mixture. Every song is soothing and very relaxed. This is probably one of the most beautiful albums I own.

There really isn't much else that can be said about this album. It's beautiful, relaxing, and amazingly put together. Many of the songs are instrumental but a few contain vocals, one song (Over the Pond) has a guest appearence from the lead singer of Sigur Ros. Thule and Another Day (Revised) are the two stand out tracks for me, neither contain vocals and are full of piano, strings and beautiful textures and layers of sounds. I'll be falling asleep to this tonight and I can't wait to see what dreams will come.

There's something inherently magical about Jimmy LaValle's work with The Album Leaf. His music has this texture to it that's thoroughly relaxing as well as thought-provoking. I had the good fortune of finding his work earlier in September of last year and I have yet to tire of it. In fact, with the release of his latest album, "In A Safe Place," I can feel nothing but excitement for it.

First off, this record sounds very similar to the landscape in which it was recorded. You can almost hear the ambience and atmosphere of Iceland in tracks like "Another Day (Revised)" and "Thule." The incorporation of vocals - an aspect I was somewhat skeptical about - turned out wonderfully. Hearing Pall Jenkins (Black Heart Procession), Jon Thor Birgisson (Sigur Ros), and Jimmy LaValle himself sing was wonderful. For Album Leaf purists out there, this record still sounds like LaValle's earlier work, but the addition of a string ensemble, glockenspiel, various percussion instruments, and singing in some of the tracks give it an extra dimension. A dimension that did not disappoint me at all. One can hear the hints of Sigur Ros in this record mainly because Sigur Ros' Jon Thor Birgisson sings on a song and their string ensemble plays, but it still remains as the most solid Album Leaf record I've heard. I highly recommend this.

While I have heard that this album is a bit different from previous releases by the Album Leaf, I cannot really comment because, I admit, this is the first album of theirs that I have heard. What I can tell you about it though is that it's excellent.
It's an album that shoots its atmosphere off into all directions. It's an album for those times you've been in the car driving for ten hours and the morning is just starting to bleed into the night. To be honest, it's pretty mellow. I don't think anyone would classify it as 'pump-up' music, but that doesn't detract from it at all.
It opens with the wonderfully ambient "Window" which melds into "Thule". This one-two punch of atmospherics gives a pretty good idea where the album is going. Vocals pop in for three of the tracks, but mostly the songs just grab hold with their musicality and don't let go.
The songs are like walking along a trail in the woods; they take gentle detours here and there and you follow them for the time being, but the detours always return to the main path.
Personally, all the songs are pretty enjoyable, but a high point would have to be "The Outer Banks". It features a skittering low-key electro-beat but really builds an off-kilter intensity by the time it reaches its climax.
Sure, it falls a little too low and flat in parts, it's not a perfect record, but it's still pretty good.

This album just ooze's love. What else can I say. If you really listen to it, it can bring you really far away. The first track I heard was the outer banks and I searched for the album straight away, and once I got my hands on the album I never put it down for a few days. I keep finding myself listening to it nearly every weekend. It's what weekends and lazy days were made for. Buy it, enjoy it and play it over and over.

i have owned The Album Leaf's "One Day I'll be on Time" for a long time, and I was somewhat disappointed by the disc as a whole, it had bright spots, but they were dimmed by the many nondescript banal tracks. This new disc, however is exceptional. I was initially skeptical following "One Day...", but this album is one of the more beautiful pieces of work I've heard in a while. The instrumentation is lush, and wonderfully recorded, while the sparse vocals are both beautiful and poignant. Even the album artwork is exquisite. I have listened to this album almost non stop since I bought it a few days ago, and have found its beauty refreshing.

I own a lot of ambiant/post-rock albums including all album leaf's albums and EPs and I must tell you that this album is a step higher all other Lavallee's work. This is an album with no weak track at all, it's near from perfection. Standout tracks are "Thule", "Outer Banks", "Eastern Glow". Albums you might like if you like this one: "Album Leaf - One Day I'll Be On Time", "Epic45 - Against The Pull Of Autumn", "Lanterna - Highways". It definately has a place in my top 5 albums ever.

when in a safe place first came out, i remember listening to it and saying to myself, is this it? so i tossed it aside. i recently saw the album leaf at the social. it was incredible. their live show was flawless. i later listened to in a safe place and now i get it. the music is inspiring

I was reading an interview with Lavalle, and the obvious question popped up. You know, the question everyone is dying to ask the 'new age' artists.
"Why do you like the music you do?"
And Jimmy's response:
"I don't really think about why I like the music that I do"
Brilliant answer Jimmy! So anyways, this album is great.
Maybe I'm partial to his strictly instrumental stuff, but the song I least enjoyed was "Eastern Glow". The rest of the album is gorgous. It is a beautiful, warm, happy, mellow, thoughtful album that would expect from Lavalle. Of course you can hear the Sigur Ros in it, why did he go there in the first place?!
The song Window and Over The Pond in particular, and also and Another Day stray closest to Sigur Ros. But no matter!

My favorite moments of this album are derived from: Firstly, the beautiful mixture of violins/guitar/synth on Another Day. Secondly, Over the Pond. Lastly, the emotional impact of Outer Banks. If you haven't gotten sick of hearing The Album Leaf on the OC, then pick up this album.
or...better yet, pick up this album and Season 1 of the OC on DVD.

Never meet your heroes. An interesting saying that has surprisingly, in my experience, rung true. I remember a number of occasions (Comedian Arj Barker most prominently) where I have idolised and admired the work of an artist or entertainer, and been disappointed by their presence upon meeting. Of course, the phrase can also carry a slightly different meaning. What about those times when becoming well acquainted and familiar with those you look up to ends up resulting in a strange drowning of the self?

It would seem that this is the case with 'The Album Leaf - In a Safe Place'. Jimmy LaValle, the man behind this album, has been relatively prolific in his output and wide in his reach, up until this point in his musical career. Admittedly, I am not extremely familiar with his earlier work, but nevertheless have heard enough to know it was exciting.

For this album, LaValle was invited by the members of Sigur Ros and Mum to travel to Iceland and share their studio facilities for the recording of his latest solo project.
The results are just a little too easy.

Easy to record and write, easy to listen to, easy to have in the background, and ultimately easy to forget.

Don't get me wrong. This album is certainly a pleasant experience. But it's just a little too pleasant! Gorgeous, simple instrumentals (with occasional sweet vocals) shuffle along and most definitely give the room an atmosphere and calm. The strings, for the most part, are goosey and fragile and definitely ripple some of the tracks out of their lull, but generally speaking it feels like home most of the time. The third track, 'On Your Way', cruises by without any sort of climax or significant change, and the repeated vocal 'you are on your way'. But you gotta ask..where too?!

The following track is once again cute, and unobtrusive, with glock and keys spotted over ambient string/key sounds. The fluttering, scattered beat is scrambled over the top in tight and timely fashion, yet once again the track doesn't haunt, lift or take you anywhere. Sorry. I'll correct myself. It does. I just get deja vu when I hear this album cause I feel like I've been there before. Only last time was my first time.

You know when you're sitting around with friends and someone pulls a funny face or says something a certain way, and it turns out hilarious? You know when your mate who was in the loo comes back, and you encourage them to do it again for the absentee? Never as funny the second time is it?...

The point is, this a gorgeous album. It just isn't that exciting. It's no Sigur Ros or Mum that's for sure. None of the spook and grandeur. None of the passion and surprise. None of the depth and weight. If you are after an album that's full of downbeat electronica meets instrumental rock (with occasional vocals), or if you just can't wait till the next Mum album, then this will keep you going for a bit. If not, then you will most likely find it to be a little too derivative and easy to digest.
The Album Leaf's 'In a Safe Place' is close, but no Sigur.

6.5 outta 10