It's Springtime. Go outside. Hear the birds chirping. Feel the sun warm skin. Your skin. Remember that all meaning and experience is self-created, existing wholly in the mind, an interpretation of the energy around. Realize the birds are singing to you. The wind is blowing for you. The flowers are blooming for you. The one that uses the label "I." Because in fact, there is no real separation from man and nature.
It's usually interesting hearing "nature" used as a channel in a track, or whole album. When's the last time I remember this? The "field recordings" of Active Listening: Night on Earth? They were playing more with the "noise" dial than the nature dial, maybe. Here, instead, is the Listening Planet, one man's rather fascinating project. I've said it before: I love a good gimmick. I love when someone works on an engrossing, personal, maybe slightly crazy project for no real reason but personal enrichment. Actually, a lot of PoYB runs could be given such a label. To hear parts of such a deep, nature-based project is, in itself, refreshing. This guy could have been a character in The Overstory.
To which ONR. uses to fairly good effect. The nature mostly flanks the songs, producing a feeling of ambiance and/or connection. It's fun! It's easy! Birds singing and rustling winds work with the slow spacious melodies and perfume-genius-y vocals. Sometimes it gets a little too ambiance-y the nth time through ("Breathe"), but some interlude seems natural. On the flip side, "Brace," which is kicking most of the way through, is quite a bop. Overall, a solid album for the belly of Spring. Watch me brother, as I catch on fire.
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