Van Tassel's Uncanny Elixir

I was starting to fall under the impression that all the Folk soundscapes were slowly blending into one. That was until I discovered the up and coming acoustically archaic artist Van Tassel’s Uncanny Elixir. With an organically quintessential blend of uplifting instrumentals his single ‘Nutmeg and Cinnamon’ from his latest album treated me to five whole minutes of romantically sweeping melodies. The intricacy which went into each progression made for a decadently indulgent orchestration.

Whilst you won’t find many artists alive in this century creating a sound comparable to his prodigally nostalgic inspired soundscapes, there was a faint reminiscence of Amanda Palmer’s theatrical approach to sound written into the mix. To put it simply, Van Tassel is an artist that you’re going to have to listen to yourself for an accurate idea of his striking style.

You can check out Van Tassel’s Uncanny Elixir’s single for yourselves by heading over to BandCamp now. The single is now available to download for free along with the rest of the artist’s debut album ‘Famile Chorus’.

Review by Amelia Vandergast - ANR Factory

Family Average: 4/7
Happy Monday family review readers! We have a little one-man-band for you today. No he is not a bird as the album art would suggest, but a real life multi-talented man. Gavin Brown, under the artist name Van Tassel's Uncanny Elixir. Famile Chorus is the album up for review today, and we've got a kids only review for this one. That's right, no parents in this clubhouse.

Listen along on Bandcamp and check out what the kids of the family had to say:

VICTOR
I must say, this album was more enjoyable than I initially anticipated. Mostly because it had this incredibly fun unique sound to it. Like what a circus is supposed to be. It felt like I was on a carousel of folk and bluegrass, infinitely spinning until the dizziness kicked in. The lyricism didn’t exactly strike a chord with me however, and I felt it was severely lacking on things to say. But the upbeat sounds really do sell the songs more. My personal favorite song off this is “The Hotel”. It is incredibly constructed and you can feel the actual buildup as it progresses through. And the background singers really add a nice touch when they jump in and out in choir like unison. Overall, I was pleased with it. Don’t know how much replay ability it would have for me in a day. But I could throw this on a vinyl for an hour while I’m repotting my plants.

5/7

KATE
Okay alright, Van Tassel! This sounded like I was navigating a Shakespearean/Wes Anderson collab on a pop-up storybook that took place in some heavily wooded and mystical forest. Each track was very indie, dreamy, and something else. While the vocals were not my favorite part, I am a fan of a lot of the lyrics. Particularly on "Floorboards". "Sun creeps across the floorboards as it paints Eastern Hills. Still tangled in these bedsheets, as we waken our deepest thrills" — that's rather tasty imagery. The music like I said is all very woodland-ey ...to the point where by the end I started to assume Van Tassel must be some tree dwelling elf. Most of it is folky and enjoyable. If he pegs down more pitch and style to his voice I think I'd much enjoy a following album!

3/7

SERGE
(while building a dining room table) I couldn't really get into this album. It's not that I didn't like the idea, I just think that it was too much all over the place. There were too many instruments at a time, which made the whole thing sound really messy. They were sometimes all out of sync and out of tune, which made matters worse. The singing was also rather pitchy; it added to the messiness of it all, and not in a good way. I think Van Tassel would gain a lot by simplifying his tracks, by giving each instrument its own time to shine, to better give the songs more depth and perception.

3/7

MEG
My interest was immediately piqued by the album art as it looked like a cover for Neutral Milk Hotel or The Decemberists. A total red-flag that this was gonna be pretty indie and folk infused, so I was KEEN. The opening of the first track had me pretty excited, but then the vocals came in. I thought I was listening to “I am the Walrus” underwater. But, once I digested that initial shock, I fell deep into this sweet little sing-songy world crafted by the Van Tassels. The swaying guitar and harmonies had me feeling like I was following around that little garden gnome in Amelie. No, that’s not a euphemism. All in all, a pretty enjoyable experience. As I said, I wasn’t totally into the vocals, but the music itself is pretty strong.

4/7

SEAN
Simmer down simmer down. I got something to say here... Okay I would be really angry at this album for being so darn folky if I was not so completely in love it. Got to be honest I was a little worried looking at the album cover. I was saying to myself “oh dear me that is a lot of flowers what is going to happen here”. But wahm bam these guys pulled it off! They inserted the perfect amount of levity, and sadness that to me makes up a great folk album. Don’t get it twisted I am not some kind of sad weirdo. I can just appreciate it when the sad covers the album from head to to like a thin sheet. I would equate it to an alcoholic saying cheers. Trying to pass along good vibes, but with some inherent sadness behind it all. Okay enough about my feelings, if you can get down with a little Banjo and Tambourine action this diddy is for you! As a final note pop on Juniper, to get your feet stomping.

5/7 - The Family Reviews