the meaning of 8...a further analysis...

after a couple more listens straight through, my enthusiasm hasn't waned a bit for cloud cult's new release, the meaning of 8. upon further investigation, the packaging contains an interesting explanation of "the meaning of 8", in which the meaning of the actual number 8 is explored as used in various cultural and religious contexts. it's quite interesting, but too long to reproduce here, and in addition, i would really encourage you to check it our for yourself and purchase the album! support the cause...as i've said before, earthology records is doing a great thing establishing plausible alternatives to help reduce waste through their earth-friendly methods of production. as well as the fact that it is a phenomenal album! not yet convinced? keep reading...i'll try my hardest.in his beautifully lyrical and fully poetic songs, craig minowa weaves intricate stories, paints beautiful pictures, all contained in a rushing landscape of sound. he really draws you in from the first listen, the first song. the meaning of 8 infuses many instrumental elements, a surprisingly rock-driven influence on a few tracks, beautiful strings, and the lucious sounds you would expect from a cloud cult album.the background vocals are brilliantly utilized throughout the album to minowa's greatest advantage, transforming his wavering voice from what could be a thing of weakeness to the pinnacle of strength. don't get me wrong, i fully appreciate the tracks on past albums, for example "beautiful boy" off aurora borealis, where that wavering voice creates a powerful and emotional presence. but here, the same voice is a force, conveying a powerful hope through the ashes of sorrow.track 7, "your 8th birthday", is especially heart-wrenching. an obvious homage to his son, kaidin (sp?) who died of an unknown cause in his sleep at age two, would have turned eight this year. minowa explores what he could have been at age eight, but for me, the drawn-out cry of his name is enough to establish a strong emotional base without getting whiny or self-pitying. i've always been impressed by minowa's emotional presence in his songs, this track being the pinnacle of his style.i encourage you to take a course of action: listen once, listen twice, listen to the lyrics (he really packs them in - it definitely takes more than one listen), and let this album establish a permanent spot in your brain until you can't get it out of your head. it's pretty much the only way to go.notable lyrics:"it's beautiful, insatiable the way our chemicals collide..." - chemicals collideand that's really all i have for now. i haven't listened enough to really dig out my favorite lyrics. this one is a good, obvious start though.i'm especially digging track four "pretty voice", track six "take your medicine" (LOVE the bell-like electronic[?] elements), and track 14 "2X2X2". but seriously...it's hard to choose. definitely will be in my running for best album of '07...we still have a long way to go, but i'm confident it will hold up in the top five at least.seeing as my hard-drive won't hold much more, i can't actually rip the album into my library. however, i'll leave you with my favorite track from "advice from the happy hippopotamus"...enjoy.