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Editorial Reviews
2010 album from Mark Olson, co-founder of legendary Americana band The Jayhawks and a critically acclaimed artist whose influential catalog spans 25 years. Many Colored Kite is the follow up to his 2007 personal milestone Salvation Blues, which was a New York Times Critics pick. Many Colored Kite greets the listener with its earthy, neo-Folk feel that encompasses classic and '60's British Folk as well as the "desert country" that he has been associated with in the past.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Davy
Format:Audio CD
My fascination with this album grows by the day. It's just so off-kilter and fragile--like some exotic insect you've never seen before. It's small and skittish and has little spindly legs and great big eyes and at first glance looks a bit funny, but all the same--it makes you stop and stare and wonder.
There are 3 styles at work here: gently chugging jangle pop (imagine a terminally ill Byrds or The Long Winters after a series of even longer winters), lilting acoustic folk (not far removed from Bonnie "Prince" Billy's more vulnerable songs), and then an utterly bewitching combination of the two. This last type blends skeletal, acoustic verses (that are musically quite loose), with bold, striding choruses. To hear the transition is a wonderful thing. Olson's voice is reedy and wavers a ton and at times might remind you of Daniel Johnston, or your great-grandfather--but it can also be very rich and sonorous. Add a few more essential ingredients--totally unpredictable song structures, poetic lyrics about kites and flowers and beehives and small bodies of water, a truly unique sense of melody--and you've got a precious little record in your hands. For me, this is a year-end top 5 selection without question, and a serious contender for the top slot.
There are 3 styles at work here: gently chugging jangle pop (imagine a terminally ill Byrds or The Long Winters after a series of even longer winters), lilting acoustic folk (not far removed from Bonnie "Prince" Billy's more vulnerable songs), and then an utterly bewitching combination of the two. This last type blends skeletal, acoustic verses (that are musically quite loose), with bold, striding choruses. To hear the transition is a wonderful thing. Olson's voice is reedy and wavers a ton and at times might remind you of Daniel Johnston, or your great-grandfather--but it can also be very rich and sonorous. Add a few more essential ingredients--totally unpredictable song structures, poetic lyrics about kites and flowers and beehives and small bodies of water, a truly unique sense of melody--and you've got a precious little record in your hands. For me, this is a year-end top 5 selection without question, and a serious contender for the top slot.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By freereign
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
While recently participating in reunion shows with The Jayhawks, Mark Olson also been forging a distinctive path for his solo career that is based on an entirely different season of musical weather: that of the itinerant songsmith. He was moving this direction on his later Creekdipper albums, and 'Salvation Blues' actually interrupted that progression some, as it was injected with much of what you loved about his best work with the Jayhawks. His Salvation Blues tours were an incredible example of working the road, as he crossed the States and Europe twice, playing small clubs, really focusing on his presentation and growing considerably. After that tour, he brought his rootsy leanings into his re-teaming with Jayhawk partner Gary Louris and made something that is a truly understated classic in "Ready For The Flood". Sort of a rural Simon and Garfunkel piece, but one that reveals its depth with careful listens.
With this one you get something that follows his wonderful "My Own Jo Ellen" and "December's Child" albums: Here are some crafted songs performed on a spirited mixture of rock and folk instruments. Mark builds chords on the dulcimer, and strums it like a percussion instrument. He tends to favor fingperpicking when on acoustic guitar, although he strums chords when needed. The first song is as upbeat as anything he's ever done, and features a soaring harmony vocal by Jolie Holland. Each song is performed with its own mixture of accompaniment, and a couple with little more than acoustic guitar and djembe. Not surprisingly, the vocal harmonies are favored in the mix. Unlike 'Salvation Blues', which could have easily been a Jayhawks vehicle, Mark's forged a distinct path on this one that is warm and satisfying, if a bit slower-paced than his Jayhawks work.
If you enjoyed the direction taken on "Ready For The Flood" written and performed with Gary Louris, this one will be easy to gravitate toward; a very mature work; easy going; reflective; a folk collection done they way they used to be: It would be easy to pick this one up in a Flying Fish catalog.
For those of you downloading, there are two extra songs that are also part of a download card provided with the vinyl LP here--the card contains the entire album plus those two bonus tracks, and iTunes requires you purchase the entire album if you want them both.
With this one you get something that follows his wonderful "My Own Jo Ellen" and "December's Child" albums: Here are some crafted songs performed on a spirited mixture of rock and folk instruments. Mark builds chords on the dulcimer, and strums it like a percussion instrument. He tends to favor fingperpicking when on acoustic guitar, although he strums chords when needed. The first song is as upbeat as anything he's ever done, and features a soaring harmony vocal by Jolie Holland. Each song is performed with its own mixture of accompaniment, and a couple with little more than acoustic guitar and djembe. Not surprisingly, the vocal harmonies are favored in the mix. Unlike 'Salvation Blues', which could have easily been a Jayhawks vehicle, Mark's forged a distinct path on this one that is warm and satisfying, if a bit slower-paced than his Jayhawks work.
If you enjoyed the direction taken on "Ready For The Flood" written and performed with Gary Louris, this one will be easy to gravitate toward; a very mature work; easy going; reflective; a folk collection done they way they used to be: It would be easy to pick this one up in a Flying Fish catalog.
For those of you downloading, there are two extra songs that are also part of a download card provided with the vinyl LP here--the card contains the entire album plus those two bonus tracks, and iTunes requires you purchase the entire album if you want them both.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I heard one song on XM Loft and bought the album not so great. I really liked that song but the album wasn't so great. Cool rock genre.
