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Typhoon’s ‘Hunger and Thirst’
By Charlie | May 26, 2010
Catching Typhoon live a few months ago, I was first struck by the sheer size of the group. I counted two drummers, guitars, horns, and a veritable chorus of backup players. And yet, it played out so seamlessly, I barely noticed when the harmonies rolled in and out of the thunderously melodic rhythms put forth by the group. I walked away that night with more than one song stuck in my head, and listening to Typhoon’s debut LP, Hunger and Thirst (Tender Loving Empire), is like revisiting the band on that tiny stage once again.
Recorded in various rooms of the Victorian house shared by several members, Hunger and Thirst is an intimately grandiose record. Singer/songwriter Kyle Morton fronts the group with simple guitar riffs and a subdued resonance while seven core members, and up to 17 contributors at any one time, surround him with lush music and bombastic backup. Suffice to say, the house must have been packed, and that communal spirit helps to identify the group’s casual confidence and expansive enthusiasm.
Typhoon’s lo-fi recordings and spacious atmospheres play perfectly alongside their emotional indie rock. Opening with the hypnotic concentric circles of “Starting Over (Bad Habits),” the group invites the listener with almost whispered tones before opening the door wide and sweeping tables clear for the celebrations to come. Employing worldly and exotic flourishes around Morton’s moodily acoustic folk, the songs on display throughout Hunger and Thirst grow and develop with an organic simplicity. Yet, before you know it, an entire orchestra of strings and horns are revisiting the Arabian Nights via “Body of Love” or a mournfully eerie southwestern villa in “Old Haunts, New Cities” or any of the other varied genres and locales the group touches upon in their cathartic travels.
At a relatively young age, the group averages 21 years old, Typhoon has quickly and assuredly found their stride. Already the band attracts a rapidly growing fan base here in Portland, is hitting best of lists, and is aligned with the also rapidly growing Tender Loving Empire. It’s a sure bet that Typhoon is ready for breakout status. Let’s hope they stay hungry.