Some records are summer records and some are winter, albums that feel more at place while basking in the sun or hibernating under blankets. Common Loon’s debut, The Long Dream Of Birds, is one of those rare breeds that is both. Despite being just a duo, comprised of Matt Campbell on drums and Rob Hirschfeld on guitar (both share vocal duties), Common Loon’s sound is quite lush. Lazy summertime you will love laying in the sun and letting the warm sound and rich melodies float on by. Cooped up wintertime you will love the languid pace interrupted by bursts of energy that release you from your stupor. And the rest of the year, you’ll just dig some strong songwriting, really well produced tunes, and a little throwback to the mid-90′s from time to time.

Not a lot of bands are doing what Common Loon are up to these days. Not a lot of bands in the 90′s really did what Common Loon are doing. Bands like Acetone played a lush but hushed style and, more fittingly, the Radar Brothers combined a slow pace with Beatles-esque harmonies. Common Loon fit snugly into these styles while mining other, bigger and bolder sounds as well. But do not fear, The Long Dream Of Birds is not merely a trip down memory lane. Common Loon’s remarkably strong sense of self allows them to incorporate styles and, like many of your favorite bands, turn it into something completely their own.

It can not be understated how fully realized of an album is The Long Dream Of Birds. One might call it slick if slick didn’t have so many negative connotations. At a time when production seems to mean stuffing sounds on top of sounds, a la Animal Collective, it’s nice to hear a record where the attention to detail doesn’t result in an assault on the senses but rather just warms things up. Opener, “Dinosaur vs. Early Man”, as a good opener will, distills the strengths of the band into a nice little nugget. Keyboards add depth, sleigh bells accent and the vocals recall the slow, nasal drawl of John Lennon. It’s followed by the very short The Long Dream Of Birds that, despite its brevity, is heartbreaking like the best Pernice Brothers song.

From there the album just maintains such a high level of consistency it is at times hard to believe this is Common Loon’s first. Maybe Matt and Rob’s longtime friendship, one that started in kindergarten, has allowed them to forgo the awkwardness of learning each others strengths and weaknesses. These guys just absorb their influences. “Palestine Everywhere” and “A Moment In Energy Transfers” recall Pedro The Lion, Happy Ending is like an Elliot Smith/Grandaddy mash-up, and “Lisa’s Pixie Cut” has a Gish era Smashing Pumpkins riff (if you can let go of your current feelings about the Pumpkins you know this is a compliment). However, never will you find yourself crying foul.

I’ve never been to Champaign so I can’t say if there’s a vibrant scene of like minded bands or if Common Loon is the scene. I can say The Long Dream of Birds is ridiculously addictive. It’s easy to digest upon the first listen but grows more and more upon subsequent listens. That’s a wonderful thing. Often times an album’s accessibility can be its downfall in that it reveals all of its tricks right away and later listens uncover nothing more. Not to keep coming back to production, but details are what makes The Long Dream Of Birds stronger with each listen. This is true no matter the weather outside. Rare is the album that can sum up your mood no matter the mood. Good pop music thrives when it can and Common Loon’s The Long Dream Of Birds is damn good pop music.
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Catch Common Loom Sunday, April 11 at RONNYS.
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