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| Martin Crane (photo via Dead Oceans) |
"How
the Ranks Was Won" is a charming tune, almost disarming in its simplicity.
There’s an appealing, quirky vibe embedded in the layers of instruments.
Martin Crane’s emotive vocals hover above it all, the songwriter communicating
a personal journey both physically and emotionally. Following a
self-produced album in 2009, Phosphorescent Blues, he had found a
lonely existence back in Austin after touring in support of the likes of
Grizzly Bear, Vampire Weekend and The National.
"Most
of my good friends had moved away from Austin," Crane recalls. "I was
working at a phone bank and hanging out in bars a lot. I'd lost touch with the
meaningful things." In a search for “something new,” he packed
everything he could into a 1990 Honda Civic wagon and moved to New York City,
where the songs poured forth. Crane wrote over 30 songs over two years,
before heading into the studio with new bandmates Spencer Zahn on bass and
drummer Ian Chang.
"I
think this record is about learning how to be alone. And I think that's how
it's spiritual. You can't actually love anything if you need it. I think this
record is an odyssey out into deep solitude in order to really get a grasp of
myself." The album, titled Saltwater, is due out May 28
through Dead Oceans.
Below is a
live video for “How the Ranks Was Won” featuring the band, along with the
official one, which was written and directed by Crane. Crane juxtaposes
photos of urban living with cartoon characters and animated paintings spelling
out deep-thought type questions such as “Does memory get better the older you
get?”
After
returning to his hometown for shows during SXSW, the band is gearing up for a
month-long residency at The Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg, April 16, 23, 30 and
May 7.
