Special Explosion

What is it?  :  Remember PNW indie rock?  The kind of idiosyncratic and cloudy-sounding music that made Isaac Brock and Ben Gibbard household names when the larger indie wave began to crest around 2004?  To Infinity was partly recorded in Modest Mouse’s studio and Death Cab for Cutie’s own sonic mastermind Chris Walla called the album “the best thing I’ve heard in a year…it feels like growing up in the northwest…” on his Twitter – if that level of cred isn’t enough for you, I don’t know what is.

Why isn’t it on vinyl?  :  I must admit, given that the album is only about 6 months old (released December 2017) and that Topshelf Records has a pretty solid history of showcasing their artists on vinyl, I am secretly hoping that I am just too early with this and that a pressing is in the works.  I literally can’t think of a reason why it’s not already, and hope that is soon rectified.

Why should it be?  :  In a word, it’s sumptuous.  Each detail is painstakingly crafted to fit together like an old wooden puzzle that smells of pine and your grandfather’s hands.  On its own, late-album standout “Fire” is reason enough to want to hear how this would all play out against the crackles and pops of a stylus in the grooves.  An insular and luxuriant album like this is MADE for vinyl.  Get on it, Topshelf!!