Album Review: The Weather Station – Humanhood

The Weather Station’s latest album is jam-packed with raw talent from every person involved. Humanhood is elevating and honest.

The opening piece on Humanhood entitled “Descent” is a stunning instrumental introduction. With grand rises in the orchestra, you feel like you are lifted through the forest. “Descent” leads seamlessly into “Neon Signs” and immediately showcases Tamara Lindeman’s soothing voice. In this piece, the production builds as Lindeman’s vocals are timidly waiting to erupt like a volcano, and as the song comes to a close, everything comes flooding down.

Fat Possum, The Weather Channel’s record label, says, “There were many songs left intentionally unfinished so that the band could respond to what she was saying…They could join her in the fog and fatigue.” It is made very clear this band has intense passion and broad creative horizons, exceptionally heard on “Window.” As the first drop of emotion leaves the speaker to the listener’s soul, it is known to be more than a song but a performance and feeling.

“You were high, numb, spacing out / you had to undress the body that’s beneath all of this / look at this mess your body fooled you.” These knifing lyrics on “Body Moves” are complicated and full of self-reflection. Lindeman is demonstrating a self-facing challenge that seems like the person she is singing about, possibly herself, had to set their mind straight and figure out the difference between false thoughts and reality.

“Fleuve” highlights a spiritually modern take on a classical-sounding piano melody. The sound of wind and water is subtly placed in the background, and you can barely make out the lyrics as they are whispered, flowing in the wind.

With a sense of urgency, Lindeman sings with many breaths and a cannon of harmonies in the album title track, “Humanhood.” Even with so much going on in this track, The Weather Channel has a way of grounding this chaotic and powerful anthem. “You always tell me that I walk without grace / I could do better / if I’d just listen if I’d change / just breathing / clumsily carrying this human hood, not carefully, carrying a body that’s tired from carrying a mind.”

With flutes that sound like echoing animals in a forest, and another lovely piano number, “Aurora,” brings forth another meditation-worthy piece as the album is coming to a close.

Humanhood is a genuinely brilliant piece of art. Finding a well-thought-out yet spontaneous album that involves so many people’s thoughts and emotions to create a beautiful story is extraordinary. The recording bands of Kieran Adams, Ben Boye, Philippe Melanson, Karen Ng, Ben Whiteley, and Tamara Lindeman have encompassed something truly enchanted and heartfelt as they built their world together.