Now Only
by Mount Eerie

Phil created another masterpiece. Yes, the instrumentation is sparse but it purposefully symbolizes the remains of his life and gives room for his words to breath. He crafted his words to speak not only to the listener but to each other and other songs such as Tintin in Tibet and Distortion. Rarely has a record touched me in such a way as Now Only. A perfect album.

From thirstyDog 04/04/2019 03:39 | #234479

Mount Eerie: A Crow Looked At Me
Critics: "What a beautiful and devastating record"
Mount Eerie: Now Only
Critics: "Okay Phil, enough about the dead wife."

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Another great album from the Mount Eerie moniker. While A Crow Looked at Me dealt with the immense grief in the immediate throws of coping with death, Now Only deals with something touched on far less frequently - attempting to live a normal existence a long while after the death of somebody you love. It does so incredibly tastefully and with a great deal of poetic rawness.

From JulianR 03/23/2018 20:43 | #211585

To review this independent of its relationship to ACLAM seems ignorant at best; it must be compared. A Crow Looked At Me was able to be as powerful as it was becuase the musical aspect was so soft spoken that it drew all attention to the extraordinarily sincere and heartbreaking lyricism. Now Only has shifted back toward Phil's more usual style, and I feel personally that both the lyricism and music have suffered to some degree. It feels more scripted now, with the lyrics and music seeming less spontaneous, and by extension less heartfelt. The subject matter is of course a little less raw, and that is understandable, as Phil is going through the process of healing. It deals a lot more with history and the present, as opposed to a focus on the time directly before, during, and after his wife's death. So of course it will be more distant, less personal. But I still feel that it could have read a little less like a collection of loosely related experiences, and more like a cohesive story, though I do think that he is still able to say important and profound things (as always, of course). And the musical backing, now more in the forefront, was not particularly compelling, except on the track Earth.

In total, I think that I'm glad he didn't make another ACLAM. For one, I don't think the feat could have been repeated without sounding formulaic or just as sincere. But additionally, even if he had been able to, I don't think he could avoid diluting the power of what he created with ACLAM, which is a singular work of art, a piece that was able to capture and convey in a way that no one else has gotten even close to achieving.

75/100

From lleon79 03/17/2018 22:40 | #211147

The last two songs are pretty good. I can't get behind the rest of the album though. As with last year's album, it's very depressing, but Now Only is way more approachable.

From HoldenM 03/16/2018 23:01 | #211078

If A Crow Looked at Me is ground zero, as utter destruction upon impact, this is clearing the wreckage and rebuilding. While A Crow Looked at Me is an unmatchable document of loss and grief, Now Only might be the better record. There's a clarity and fullness, while still potent and biting.

At any rate, this is a damn fine accomplishment, and it'll be tough to beat for AOTY.

From phantom1305 03/16/2018 14:59 | #211051

Wow... This album and Crow... They hurt to listen to. I love them so much. But I'm not sure I'll ever be able to listen to them with my other music. It's so heavy.

I really enjoyed this album. It's my favourite of the year so far. The lyrics are incredible throughout, and I think there is more 'music' than on 'A Crow Looked At Me'. I'd definitely recommend giving it a listen, especially for 'Distortion' and 'Now Only' (the latter of which references late-night conversations with Father John Misty).,

From Komorebi-D 03/09/2018 10:33 | #210457

The spiritual sequel to last year’s A Crow Looked At Me can be just as stark. But the most apparent difference is the resolution Elverum often offers in his lines. My personal favourite arrives at the very end of Distortion with “But in my tears right now/Light gleams”. It’s breathless & disconcerting just like it’s predesscor but you’ve got to admire the progression Elverum is making.

Score: 8.8/10