Over the past decade, Peter Broderick has worked with artists like Dolorean, Horse Feathers, She & Him and, most recently, Efterklang. On his latest release, All Together Now, the Portland composer collects compositions he was commissioned to write, whether it's an original piece for a wedding anniversary ("Emily"), a film ("Robbie's Song") or even a ferry boat ride in Istanbul ("A Ride on the Bosphorus"), showing a true ability to work within another person's creative framework.
These nine pieces demonstrate why Broderick is such an in-demand musician, as the simple but affecting rhythmic piano piece "Our Future in Wedlock and the Walk" and the haunted, lo-fi guitar and voice meditation of "Seeing Things" convey his emotional personality while still coming off direct and purposeful. The album's strongest two compositions — the sweeping, violin-led opener "If I Were a Runway Model" and ambitious, cinematic 16-minute album closer "Unsung Heroes" — act as bookends here, helping the compilation feel like a proper LP.
All Together Now is a surprisingly and satisfyingly listenable collection of compositions that weren't necessarily recorded for this type of public consumption.
(Erased Tapes)These nine pieces demonstrate why Broderick is such an in-demand musician, as the simple but affecting rhythmic piano piece "Our Future in Wedlock and the Walk" and the haunted, lo-fi guitar and voice meditation of "Seeing Things" convey his emotional personality while still coming off direct and purposeful. The album's strongest two compositions — the sweeping, violin-led opener "If I Were a Runway Model" and ambitious, cinematic 16-minute album closer "Unsung Heroes" — act as bookends here, helping the compilation feel like a proper LP.
All Together Now is a surprisingly and satisfyingly listenable collection of compositions that weren't necessarily recorded for this type of public consumption.