The Proud Graduates

On most occasions, Rick Alverson and company (aka Spokane) prefer dark, muted tones painted wistfully on torn canvasses. But still, certain hopefulness always shines through on all of their recordings. On The Proud Graduates, violins crash together with warmly plucked chords, resembling Low or Codeine and their penchant for slow and sometimes unsteady beauty. Like Spokane's previous long-player, 2000's Leisure & Other Songs, the cover of The Proud Graduates also presents a photo of a tree on a barren landscape, leaving little question as to the direction the music may take. At the core of this incredibly slow and sultry rock record are the emotions of Alverson and his cohorts, putting all of their intensity and experience into creating a sprawling and beautiful record. Though sparse and minimal, the sounds on The Proud Graduates are truly sweet and as one note drones darkly, another one rings pleasantly to offset it. Spokane strikes a delicate balance between light and dark, always keeping one eye on the road to hope. Gentle drums, light and heavenly guitar, angelic strings, and soft vocals come together in such a way that sometimes the individual sounds are almost interchangeable. And the band's ambiguous and often inaudible lyrics only leave more unturned mystery to the Spokane project, making it that much more secretive and stunning.