Okay, I'm obsessed. I received this cd...oh I don't know, a few weeks ago and I'll admit, it took until this past week for it to make it into my cd player, but now that the cd is there, it is most definitely NOT leaving.
Why? Because this is a record that you'll listen to once and think to yourself, "Huh...this is good...kinda catchy...but in a melancholy way...". Then you listen to it again and realize that there is a story behind the lyrics (brings to mind recent Pedro the Lion releases). Suddenly the record isn't leaving your cd player simply because it's amazing and it's beautiful and it's good for all times of the day (let's just say I wake up to the album and go to bed at night with it also).
The artwork will hit you first. Reminiscent of labelmates, The Beautiful Mistake's recent release (Light a Match, For I Deserve to Burn), it is a booklet full of translucent pages with simple drawings on them overlapping color photography. Very stunning and to the point imagery that mirrors the lyrics.
Then the music begins and with the first few lyrics ("If you find yourself here on my side of town I pray that you'd come to my door and talk to me like you don't know what we ever fought about."), I guarantee you'll be hooked. The band takes you through a swirl of emotions and will leave you reflective at the end with these poignant lyrics: "If you would shine your love down here I promise I'll reflect it right back at you."
There's a story here and I don't quite have it all worked out yet, but from what I can tell, it's about a guy and a girl who were in a fight and the girl is now in the hospital, for some reason. The whole album is from the guy's perspective and he's seeking forgiveness for their fighting and reflecting on specific times with this girl. In the end, I'm assuming she dies and he talks to her after she leaves him. (Feel free to completely negate anything I say here...I might be completely off and I probably am...just giving you my perspective.)
Do yourself a favor and pick this up. If you've never heard of Copeland, pick it up. If you don't normally buy records because of reading reviews, let this be the first time that a review induces you to impulsively buy a record by a band you've never heard. Do it.
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Other coverage for this album
Opus 2003Reviewed by Jason MoreheadAs many artists have when confronted with pain and tragedy, Copeland's Aaron Marsh turned the experience of his girlfriend's illness and grandmother's death into inspiration for Beneath Medicine Tree. Many of the lyrics express a sense of longing that comes from such trials -- longing for healing, wholesomeness, and peace. As such, Beneath Medicine Tree has all of the makings for an emotionally…Similar sounding releases
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