Country : United States Label : Jagjaguwar Genres and styles : Chamber Pop / Folk / Folk Pop / Folk Rock Year : 2021

BIG RED MACHINE – HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT’S GONNA LAST?

· by Luc Marchessault

“I am large, I contain multitudes,” Walt Whitman once wrote in the 51st section of his “Song of Myself”. Big Red Machine’s new album How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? embodies Whitman’s free verse on an indie-rock scale. In this largeness that contains multitudes, we find first of all the founding tandem of the project, i.e. Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and Aaron Dessner (discreet half of the twin duo working in The National), as well as their multiple guests: Sharon Van Etten (indie demi-goddess), Ben Howard (renowned millennial troubadour), Aaron Dessner (other, more visible half of the aforementioned twin duo), Kate Stables (a.k.a. This Is the Kit), Shara Nova (singer and leader of My Brightest Diamond), Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes singer), Ilsey Juber (über-composer and singer), Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), Ryan Olson (Gayngs leader), S. Carey (Bon Iver drummer and solo creator in his own right), Lisa Hannigan (Celestial Irish), Naeem (ex-Spank Rock), Benjamin Lanz (member of Beirut), Ariel Engle (aka La Force, also with Broken Social Scene), and James Krivchenia (drummer for Big Thief) Oh, I forgot Taylor Swift… as well as the very precious Vermont folkie Anaïs Mitchell, whose three interventions are highlights on How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? On Big Red Machine’s first album, released in 2018, Dessner and Vernon were playing Peter Gabriel in a daring phase. Here, the tone is more reassuring, as if our duo and their guests were on a mission to calm our Covidian neurosis with ethereal and generally evocative folk tunes. Moreover, the musicophile will notice that Justin Vernon’s voice sounds strangely like Pete Townshend’s, when it eludes any synthetic fiddling (this is particularly obvious on “Mimi”). Moreover, listening to “Brycie”, the penultimate piece of this dense collection, we notice that Rumours still influences folk-rock creators, 44 years after its release.

Latest 360 Content

Kurious – Majician (Top Albums 2024)

Kurious – Majician (Top Albums 2024)

The Hellp – LL (Top Albums of 2024)

The Hellp – LL (Top Albums of 2024)

Freak Slug – I Blow Out Big Candles (Top Albums of 2024)

Freak Slug – I Blow Out Big Candles (Top Albums of 2024)

Clamor – Para No Olvidarte (Top Albums of 2024)

Clamor – Para No Olvidarte (Top Albums of 2024)

The Marías – Submarine (Top Albums of 2024)

The Marías – Submarine (Top Albums of 2024)

Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us (Top Albums 2024)

Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us (Top Albums 2024)

Mk.gee – Two Star & The Dream Police (Top Albums of 2024)

Mk.gee – Two Star & The Dream Police (Top Albums of 2024)

Tyler, The Creator – Chromakopia (Top Albums 2024)

Tyler, The Creator – Chromakopia (Top Albums 2024)

Kendrick Lamar – GNX (Top Albums of 2024)

Kendrick Lamar – GNX (Top Albums of 2024)

Fontaines D.C. – Romance (Top Albums 2024)

Fontaines D.C. – Romance (Top Albums 2024)

Doechii – Alligator Bites Never Heal (Top Albums 2024)

Doechii – Alligator Bites Never Heal (Top Albums 2024)

Poirier – Quiet Revolution (Top Albums 2024)

Poirier – Quiet Revolution (Top Albums 2024)

Thee Sacred Souls – Got a Story to Tell (Top Albums 2024)

Thee Sacred Souls – Got a Story to Tell (Top Albums 2024)

Amyl & The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness (Top Albums 2024)

Amyl & The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness (Top Albums 2024)

Hiatus Kaiyote – Love Heart Cheat Code (Top Albums 2024)

Hiatus Kaiyote – Love Heart Cheat Code (Top Albums 2024)

Lou Rivaille Elliavir – Rewind (Top Albums 2024)

Lou Rivaille Elliavir – Rewind (Top Albums 2024)

Welcome John – Debut (Top Albums 2024)

Welcome John – Debut (Top Albums 2024)

Naïram – Free Fall (Top Albums 2024)

Naïram – Free Fall (Top Albums 2024)

Zouz – Jours de cendre (Top Albums 2024)

Zouz – Jours de cendre (Top Albums 2024)

Fresh Finds at Bar Le Ritz

Fresh Finds at Bar Le Ritz

Souvenirs de Noël, a trio activates its lyrical memory for the holiday season

Souvenirs de Noël, a trio activates its lyrical memory for the holiday season

Centre des musiciens du monde: Persian delight with Kayhan Kalhor

Centre des musiciens du monde: Persian delight with Kayhan Kalhor

Christmas Festivities and Celebrations With The OSL and Thomas Le Duc-Moreau

Christmas Festivities and Celebrations With The OSL and Thomas Le Duc-Moreau

Peet – À demain  (Top Albums 2024)

Peet – À demain (Top Albums 2024)

Subscribe to our newsletter