The Glow Pt. 2 is an album by The Microphones, an American indie folk project that was formed in 1996 in Olympia, Washington. The band broke up in 2003, with a short revival in 2007, and two more revivals in 2019 and 2020. The frontman of the band has been Phil Elverum, and he is also the principal songwriter for all the tracks. This album was released on the same day as the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
If you like indie folk music, this is the album for you, because of how it sounds, how it is written and how the only instruments are mostly just guitars and drums. The songs on here give off a cold-autumn-going-into-winter kind of feeling, no matter what time of year you listen to them, which makes it an amazing album to listen to over and over again.
This album is great if you are going through a loss or a breakup. It has the perfect type of singing and music, especially since it uses nature as a coping mechanism to help the listener get through it. There are a lot of songs on this album and all of them are extremely good.
The best song off the album is “I Felt Your Shape”. This track is about feeling someone’s shape while hugging them, but not in a desperate way, but in a way that feels very intimate. It’s about grabbing them and squeezing them and not letting them go, or hugging them in a lighter way, and feeling their shape in a way that is sensitive.
“I Want Wind to Blow” is the first track in the collection, and it sets the theme of loss for the entire album. As you listen to it, you understand that Elverum is referring to the wind as himself, and he wants to be blown anywhere other than where he is. This album uses ideas, such as nature, to help cope with emotions and the overwhelming feelings that something big has been lost.
“The Moon” is the next song off the album and it deals with the feeling of trying to erase memories of a failed relationship, by returning to places you’ve gone to, but this time alone. “Headless Horseman” is another good song, and the title is a metaphor for losing someone who was a big part of your life. This loss might feel like losing a part of your body, especially if that someone plays a huge role in your life.
“I Felt My Size” is a song about comparing oneself to the sea, trees and moon. The artist is using nature as a way to deal with loss, but this act may make you feel unimportant. You are comparing yourself to huge things, while you are one person and aren’t that significant in the grand scheme of things.
This whole album is an amazing experience, and you can listen to it over and over again. It has to do with how a breakup can make you feel as a person, and how bad it could be for some people.
And if you like this album, you should also check out the bands Built to Spill and Neutral Milk Hotel.
