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Pullman, "Viewfinder"
It's simply amazing to me some bands can be solely instrumental — which, to a certain extent, limits them — but still sound original, and capture a beauty that few bands, instrumental or otherwise, can even approach. Pullman's last release, "Turnstiles and Junkpiles," was a beautiful pass at acoustic guitar arrangements for this quartet, with no other instrumentation like percussion or keyboards present. The songs were stunning in their beauty and collaboration: a real triumph for these four musicians from such diverse backgrounds. This time around, Tim Barnes joins the core group of Doug McCombs, Bundy K. Brown, Chris Brokaw, and Curtis Harvey, which means there are drums on a lot of tracks, and a general nod towards more atmospheric explorations.
Whereas on "Turnstiles" the band stayed acoustic throughout the release, this time around the band enters the electric territory, but the sound won't jar you as you might think, especially if you loved "Turnstiles." No, it entirely serves this band's unique sound, allowing them to grow on this release exponentially. I liked "Turnstiles" and found it incredibly satisfying. "Viewfinder" utterly destroyed and moved me the first time I heard it, due to its immense beauty and originality. Barnes is a welcome addition, building the sound to such crescendos it's hard to imagine the band without him. And the use of electric instruments means that there's oh so much more this band can do to make their songs different in structure and feel. Pullman are certainly more than their collective influences, which show through from time to time, and "Viewfinder" is an epic release. Buy the album and see them on tour this September.
 
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