Phil Elverum's second album since the death of his wife, "Now Only," is as introspective and somber as the first, "A Crow Looked At Me." Keeping on the indie folk theme, Elverum shows the evolution of his grief with this new album.
Though he no longer has the crushing grief that loss at first gives, Elverum still feels the effects of Geneviève's death strongly overshadowing him. This makes "Now Only" just as, if not more, uncomfortable than the previous LP.
Elverum is incredibly straightforward with his lyricism and feelings, seeming like they came directly out of his personal diary. Full of suffering and loneliness, Phil does not address religion at all. Rather, he bluntly talks about how much he misses his wife; a person no longer there, and cannot get back.
Everything is muddy and almost intelligible, dragging over fingerpicked rhythms and vague melodies. Overall, it provides a broader look into their relationship and love than ever before, bringing an entirely new lens of sadness to the songs.
Phil recognizes that its absurd to keep these thoughts in his head long after his wife is dead, but he can't help himself. He is not looking for answers, just trying to understand his place in it all. The album as a whole seems to be a healing experience for Elverum, just like "A Crow Looked At Me" was for him before it.
For individuals that don't enjoy spoken word type vocals could find the album boring if they don't pay close enough attention to the lyrics. It is more like crude poetry than anything else, and as such is esoteric enough to not appeal to everyone. Furthermore, the album is six songs in a total of 44 minutes so they can often seem to drone, especially since they all seem to be almost casual in their performance.
Phil is bringing the topics of life and death to the forefront of the listener's mind. This is for their benefit, as Phil is ultimately showing them what they have, and to be thankful for it. He himself is obliviously suffering greatly at the moment, what with the death of his wife and the raising of his child alone, and he doesn't want the same for the listener.
In the end, I sincerely hope that Phil is OK and using his music for a healthy path towards acceptance. "Now Only" is a heartbreaking album, but one that is for growth and learning at the end of the day. I look forward to new album's by Phil, in his long path in learning to heal from the death of his much loved wife.
