Heller Mason- Minimalist & Anchored

The culmination of three years of work, Heller Mason's Minimalist & Anchored finds sole member/songwriter Todd Vandenberg enlisting the help of a slew of additional musicians to flesh out and breathe life into a set of noteworthy compositions. Striking performances abound, the album's eleven songs (the last two being bonus tracks) range from impressively arranged country-tinged rock to moody string-laced ballads, all immaculately produced. Musically, its more upbeat rock tracks fall somewhere between Neil Young and Red House Painters, while its darker ballads have some similar elements but evoke the same emotional response as later SoulWhirlingSomewhere.

Whether they be full-blown, radio-friendly rock outings like the opening "After All is Said & Done, More was Said than Done" or stripped down acoustic guitar affairs like the album's two closing bonus tracks, the more up-tempo rock-oriented tracks found here are more or less universally solid. From the wobbly lead guitar of the aforementioned opener to the impressive layered lead guitar work of "Packing My Bags for Hell", the instrumental arrangements are extremely well done, adding a compelling edge to the material.

While the album's more upbeat offerings are excellent, it's the downbeat songs that make the album. The heartwrenching, cello-accented "I Hate Drama & You're Being Dramatic" is simply beautiful, it and the similar and almost equally lovely "Drown the Villages on the Maine Coast" arguably providing the disc's most striking duo. The moodier, sparser "Barreling Towards Nowhere Like There's No Tomorrow" is also spectacular, featuring a stunning layered male and female vocal delivery, while the album's title track is particularly tear-jerking.

From start to finish, Heller Mason's Minimalist & Anchored is simply stunning, a blend of upbeat americana and rock melancholia with lyrics that are straightforward yet frequently striking. Both technically impressive and highly emotional, it's a release that's certainly worthy of repeated listens.