John Vanderslice: Emerald City

With the release of John Vanderslice’s sixth solo album, Emerald City, the forty-year-old, analog-obsessed San Franciscan turns to the familiar themes and images that have made all of his previous albums glisten with an inimitable blend of intimacy and humor (oceans, tall buildings, relationships in peril, etc.).

Though Cellar Door (2004) and Pixel Revolt (2005) glided with beautiful, intertwined melodies and Vanderslice’s trademarked nasally but still pretty vocals, Emerald City somehow builds on his previous works with better songwriting and prodigious instrumentation. His knack for songcraft is stronger than ever in songs like “Kookaburra,” a welcoming opener sounding like an ode to the elements (”It can’t be stopped / Thunderclouds are tightening in the sky tonight / We can’t be saved / Electricity will scribble out your name”).

As always, however, where Vanderslice truly shines is in his lyrics. There are few other songwriters than can spin yarns as genuinely believable as he can. “White Dove” tells the story of an acquaintance of Vanderslice whose child was kidnapped. The passionate tale of grief, sympathy, and lust for revenge nearly steals away from Vanderslice’s vicious acoustic instrumentals.

Other songs like “The Parade,” “The Tower,” and “Tablespoon of Codeine” all act as standouts on an album that is filled with them. To think that Vanderslice couldn’t top the brilliance of Pixel Revolt is a simple error in judgement, as Emerald City manages to topple expectations and build on an already-sterling reputation.

- Mike Affholder
John Vanderslice (Barsuk)