Microphones

If Phil Elverum is only remembered for one album, it will be The Glow Pt. 2. It’s with this Microphones record that the once shy, lo-fi-loving songwriter turned himself into a majestic pop visionary, opening up a brave new world where solar noise bursts over sprawling epics of the most intimate nature. This transformation occurred seven years ago but as the K reissue proves, it’s as striking in 2008 as it was in 2001. As blissful, hook-laden pop and nylon-string ballads butt against untamed noise and hypnotic, multilayered rhythms, it’s clear age hasn’t tainted the kaleidoscopic Glow Pt. 2 in the least. And now making the album even more inviting is the reissue’s added bonus disc, which boosts the previous 20 tracks to an impressive 40. While such add-ons usually contain sub-par tracks best left alone, Elverum spent 2007 re-recording and rearranging songs from his Glow era, and in turn created essential bonus material that only enhances the original experience. If Glow Pt. 2 was a window into Elverum’s brilliant world of wonder before, it’s now even more so.