Bloomington, Indiana’s Elephant Micah, whose revolving cast of musicians is spearheaded by principle songwriter Joseph O’Connell, is set to release Louder Than Thou on O’Connell’s own Product of Palmyra label on January 31. O’Connell’s prolific output, which includes an eclectic assortment of limited edition, home-produced, and hard-to-find recordings, has garnered him a modest yet devoted following. Deservedly so. O’Connell’s obviously well-versed in classic songwriters, but he builds on this foundation by exhibiting a zest for experimentation. Shades of Jackson Browne and Neil Young pepper the varied canvas of Louder Than Thou, but O’Connell is unafraid to supplement his work with flashes of avante-garde. For example, slow-burner “Won These Wings” hypnotizes with its use of unexpected horns and flurries of noise. Elsewhere, “Tin Foil Continent” and “My Cousin’s King” proudly exhibit O’Connell’s penchant for 70′s-hued strummers. While much of O’Connell’s older material held its charm beneath a rough-hewn, lo-fi veneer, Louder Than Thou sounds more meticulous but never overdone to the point of detriment. It’s crisp and expertly mixed. One particularly chill-inducing moment: when the female backing vocals enter the mix on moody single “If I Were A Surfer.” Louder Than Thou marks a fine release from a consistently impressive songwriter with a wealth of material well worth delving into. — Capt. Obvious

Listen:

If I Were A Surfer.mp3