Ongiara

Great Lake Swimmers

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 8, 2007)
• Original Release Date: May 8, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nettwerk Records
• ASIN: B000OHZKB8
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,041 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
There is a hushed grace to each Great Lake Swimmers release, a wonderfully fragile quality--a la Bonnie Prince Billy or Songs: Ohia--that is responsible for their devoted, near-religious fan base. While Great Lake Swimmers have been slowly building excitement with their previous two releases, Ongiara is truly on a whole other level, deserving to move them from buzz-worthy to legendary. Singer/songwriter Tony Dekker and company hit all the magical marks on this disc; the fragility is palpable, yet the primarily acoustic, bluegrass-affected instrumentation (from guitar to banjo to upright bass) is meaty enough to make every track feel lush and full. The list of guest performers is equally noteworthy, from Sarah Harmer's understated vocals on disc closer "I Became Awake," to the gorgeous string contributions of Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy, Arcade Fire) on the aching track "Where in the World Are You." Hearing Dekker half-whisper "when the wind takes you/it takes me too" in "Changing Colours" (a song equating the individual growth of two people in a dying romance with the change in seasons) is quite literally the sound of musical perfection. In fact, much of this CD gets better with each listen, and there's no better testimony than that. --Denise Sheppard

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Listen, July 2, 2007

By	M. White (Northeast - USA) - See all my reviews

I am ashamed to say that I was not aware that the Great Lake Swimmers existed until a couple of months ago. As a musician and someone who prides themselves in keeping an eye out for great music, how they, or shall I say Tony Dekker, slipped by me is a mystery. Long story short, I'm glad that I read a review in Paste magazine that prompted me to go out and buy this CD. Without question this is the best CD I've heard in 2007... IN ANY GENRE. In fact, I would be willing to say with authority that I would rank this CD with just about any of the great singer/songwriter CD's of the 70's (e.g., Late for the Sky, Pink Moon, Old. No.1, Flying Shoes, etc.)Yes, it's that good. From the first song, "Your Rocky Spine", you know you are in for something special. By the time you hit the end of the second song, "Backstage With the Modern Dancers" and Dekker pulls out the line, "And out there on the wooden floors, the sweat from their pores, I'm writing a list of songs I can sing by myself", I don't know about anyone else, but I think that's about as good as it gets, whether it be song lyrics or poetry. There's a spirit of deep longing and melancholy throughout this record, but there is also a feeling of "all is not lost", a spirit of hope that plays off of the loneliness as well. The songs are recorded using spare instrumentation (mostly acoustic guitar, banjo, double bass, and drums played with brushes). You do hear an electric guitar here, a keyboard there, an occasional orchestral instrument, but the arrangements are very understated. The vocals sound distant and are delivered with a sense of urgency and yearning. This is Americana, New Traditional Music of the highest order. As a songwriter myself, what I love about this record is how lyrically open it is and how musically simple the approach is. Dekker takes the kind of chances I still don't have the courage to (or anyone else that I know) as a writer. Lyrically, he writes very cathartically, but it is literate, not contrived or derivative. His musical arrangements are astonishing in their simplicity, but innovative at the same time, such as when the banjo parts are played to create the sense of piano/keyboard single notes or chordal phrasings. All of the songs are great, but the first five come out of the box so powerfully, that he really has you in the palm of his hand at that point. For anyone who enjoys deep lyrics, beautifully crafted music, and a unique listening experience, this is a must.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great musicianship, August 15, 2007

By	Kirsten M. Kjome (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having been raised a classical musician, who also loves everything from Yes and Led Zeppelin to Tool and System of a Down, I am always looking for new things to expand our already bursting at the seams collection of eclectic music. Thanks to Minnesota Public Radio's The Current, we found Great Lake Swimmers. I think I have pretty high standards for my music and really seek complex composition and true musicianship. This album fits the bill. His voice is haunting and melodic, the banjo peaks your curiosity and the lyrics are wonderful. I recommend this to anyone looking for a great CD to listen to while having a cool summer drink.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute multigenerational classic, February 10, 2008

By	BMAC. (Sebastopol, CA) - See all my reviews

This is just a heartbreakingly beautiful, soulful folk album, like some kind of tear-jerking prayer. I listened to it continuously for the first month I owned it. The recording was made in what sounds like a big, wooden building with gorgeous acoustics, which adds to the resonance of both voice and instruments. While some compare the sound of GLS to Nick Drake, I think there is more innocence to their sound, which gives their music a thread of hope under the melancholy.

I brought this into my high school classroom and my precocious, artistic students immediately embraced it, adding it to their own iPods. Great Lake Swimmers bridge traditional folk music, singer-songwriter lyricism and new folk. I think many ages and generations can appreciate this particular album.