The fourth record from Oregon indie outfit Typhoon, ‘Offerings’, is an epic concept album, a 70-minute opus detailing an unnamed man’s struggle with memory loss and his eventual descent into madness. Vocalist and main songwriter Kyle Morton is clearly very passionate about what he’s offering here, but also comes off as over-ambitious.
There are a lot of great moments on the album, such as the emotive guitar-playing and creepy piano on tracks such as ‘Empiricist’, or the ethereal and swirling atmosphere present throughout ‘Bergenon’. Second vocalist Shannon Steele also gets a chance to shine throughout, her singing abilities being used just enough on tracks like ‘Coverings’ (which Steele co-wrote with Morton) and ‘Remember’ to compliment each song’s sonic elements in an effective way.
The main issue with ‘Offerings’ is its length and ambition, which amounts to less than the sum of its parts. Typhoon try to tell a complete story with ‘Offerings’, which is understandable, but a 40-minute record, cut down to everything the album does well, would’ve made for a more enjoyable listen. As it is, certain tracks, for example, ‘Algernon’, or ‘Beachtowel’, are bloated due to their length, despite incorporating some interesting and enjoyable elements. In the former’s case, the choral vocals are a nice touch, while the piano-playing on the latter track is lovely.
The more bombastic sections of ‘Offerings’ are great, and the string arrangements add a lot to the music. Bold moments such as the distorted vocals on ‘Rorschach’, or the more full-band approach on penultimate track ‘Ariandne’ also make for intriguing listens. The stripped-back middle-section of the album, though, can be bland due to a lack of some of these elements.
Overall, Morton’s passion and ambition saves ‘Offerings’ from being a disaster, it is a generally enjoyable, cohesive listen. Fans of drawn-out, progressive concept albums will most likely enjoy this a lot, but it may test others’ patience.
3/5
‘Offerings’ by Typhoon is released on January 12th on Roll Call Records.
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Words by Alan Cunningham (@funeral_polis)
