In The Aeroplane Over The Sea (album) by Neutral Milk Hotel

From Timestarter 05/30/2020 11:43

Fav. Tracks: The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1 and Pts. 2 & 3, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, Holland 1945, Oh Comely, [untitled].

From NoAlarms 05/26/2020 00:03

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is often a simple album, filled with simple chord progressions and hooks. It's fuzzed out production creates the illusion that it was recorded in a damp basement, waterlogged after a thunderstorm and packed to the brim with insulation subbing for soundproofing. These are all misconceptions, most of all the simplicity. Jeff Magnum subverts the idea of simplicity with his rollicking, depressing, life-affirming piece of indie rock. His lyricism cuts through the haze of intentionally wooly production illustrating an observation of both the beauty of ordinary life and the daunting nature of philosophical thought.

The album's crown jewel, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, layers striking metaphorical proclamations in rapid succession, partnering that with dizzying singing saw, creating an indie masterpiece confined within an alien biodome. Communist Daughter eases down the tempo but not the whimsy, as it oozes beauty almost in a whisper as it flutters into Oh Comely. The album closes with the hauntingly reflective Two Headed Boy, Pt. 2 as it whirrs into Magnum's words. He declares, "God is a place where some holy spectacle lies", endlessly waiting for divine intervention, even if he questions its existence in a world that can be so cold.

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, is partly a horror story of the Nazi Regime, a love letter to the courage of Anne Frank, but mostly its an examination of life's smallest moments and whether it's worth going forward or not. Whatever it is to you, however, is likely the most fitting description. Magnum's poetry on the LP is indicative of a higher consciousness and it's partnered with a cornucopia of musical ingenuity to form one of the finest, most earnest albums ever pressed.

"Now how I remember you,
How I would push my fingers through,
Your mouth to make those muscles move,
That made your voice so smooth and sweet."

-In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Standout Tracks:

1. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
2. Two Headed Boy, Pt. 2
3. Oh Comely


102

Great album!

After a lot of plays, I think this album is very good, not a masterpiece but still very good.

The sum is better than its parts. And I mean that in the best way possible. This is a masterpiece of an album and, I feel, cannot be listened to on shuffle or only one song in a sitting...it must be listened to from start to end.

I don't think I've ever heard an album so personal and intimate where a large portion of the subject material isn't sung autobiographically. The concept of the album dives so much deeper into a particular book or event than any other album. It reminds me of the first part of "Sing About Me/I'm Dying of Thirst" off of Kendrick Lamar's "Good Kid, MAAD City" in that a story is being told biographically, detailing familial relationships, positivity during a dark, dark time, and death. But, again, it's as if the subject of that one song was chopped up and sung over an entire album.

Coupled with an extremely raw and emotional vocal performance, the instrumentation gives the album so much character. A record like this could be commonly sung along with piano ballad after piano ballad, all in minor chords, but the minor-major-minor chord progression on guitar, along with the bevy of wind instruments and percussion just adds so much detail to the album. It's even hard to pinpoint a genre that the album belongs in, as Mangum's vocals are lo-fi, the drums feel like their in a garage band, and the brass, banjo, and guitar feel like folk and indie rock. It's quite interesting and enjoyable, though doesn't detract from the brilliant songwriting.

I had listened to this album a couple times in the past and didn't quite take to it (mainly because it wasn't in my wheelhouse genre-wise), but paying more attention to the songwriting and accepting the consistency of the vocals and instrumentals has opened my mind to much more and has given me more appreciation for the album as a whole. I also love how themes progress as the album progresses. Family, relationships, sexuality, feelings about death, and even evocations of the past and present (at the time of the album's release) give a timeless feeling of nostalgia and the knowledge of history being circuitous. It all ties up nicely in the closing 3 tracks, with Anne Frank not fearing death anymore, culminating in a more celebratory instrumental, and then closing with a reprise of Two-Headed Boy. It's all just very, very well done.

Though I don't think all the songs are 100/100, I do feel the album, as a whole, deserves that mantle.

This album is simply amazing. First listen it has this beautiful cacophony of instruments. The lyrics are haunting and gorgeous. The sound is harsh and lush. Just great.

Overrated, as expected, just like Radiohead in this website. Still a good album though.

Now how I remember you
How I would push my fingers through
Your mouth to make those muscles move
That made your voice so smooth and sweet

A record with so much unique power and personality. Mangum's voice here is tremendously hopeful and painful, and filled with thought. This is an album that could have a million interpretations and it seems that with each listen, depending on what I'm going through, the music caters to the opposite feeling and always reels me back into the earth. Perfect.

From StefanR10 12/21/2019 22:51

Great music, i like the orchestra arrangements and the voice fits perfect to the music. Especially i like the parts when the piper is playing the lyrics make sense and the sound is like perfect indie rock. Great album of the 90s, you can hear the lost of youth and the part with the nazi era and anne frank shows impressive emotions. The album is like the Sgt. Pepper album. I say you should own this album because it is great.

9.4/10
Just an amazing listen through and through