Morgan Packard Airships Fill the Sky
Listening to the title track of New York composer Morgan Packard’s new album–a rich mixture […]
Listening to the title track of New York composer Morgan Packard’s new album–a rich mixture of hisses, hazy accordion lines, and a simple and rubbery beat-it’s easy to visualize a fleet of bulbous, steampunk-style zeppelins inching across the horizon. Organic and feathery, Packard’s placid songs often engage and rarely float off course, filled with serene moments populated by string samples, soft drums, and repeatedly ringing bells (as on closing track “They Will Rise Forever”). The companion DVD, Unsimulatable, featuring music accompanied by the unfolding and ribbon-like visuals of Joshue Ott, further demonstrates the quiet calm achievable by deftly manipulating texture. On first glance, the morphing lines may look like a WinAmp upgrade, but the calligraphy-like loops are a good match for Packard’s ambient soundtrack.