Springhouse
From Now to OK
Independent Project Records
To go From Now to OK, the dreampop idealists of Springhouse pulled their heads out of the clouds and at least put away some of their toys. They had to be of less use in the making of the more direct 2008 album, which trailed 1991’s Land Falls and 1993’s Postcards from the Arctic, previous works where Mitch Friedland whipped up gauzy mists and whispery layers of ethereal shoegazing reverie from nylon-string acoustic guitars by deploying an entire galaxy of effects and customized pickups. It wasn’t witchcraft, but the newness of Friedland’s experiments must have upset the villagers.
How else could it be that such melodic and transcendent fare failed to find a bigger audience, an MTV video and wide media exposure notwithstanding? That could be why Springhouse offered something slightly different with From Now to OK. Rather than conjure up more otherworldly spells, wrapped around deep romantic yearning and earnest ecological advocacy, Springhouse elected to lean into their ‘60s folk-pop oeuvre for their earthier third album. That’s what always grounded them anyway, that unabashed fondness for The Beatles and Nick Drake. Newly reissued, with a fully stuffed bonus CD of previously unreleased extras and rarities, From Now to OK has another chance to shine, to again parade the blissful melancholy and affecting poignancy of its songwriting before the uninitiated and a faithful cult of followers alike.
Beauty and sadness always walked hand in hand for Springhouse, but the trio — its ebbs and flows controlled by the expressive and orderly rhythm section of drummer Jack Rabid and bassist Larry Heinemann — also aimed to be engaging and inspirational, as the wistful and expansive “Grateful” counts its blessings and a nostalgic-sounding “No More Yesterdays” cuts ties with the past and looks forward. Strings and horns bring chamber-pop sophistication and intimacy to “Snapshot” and “10 Count,” while “Mercedes Marxist” exhibits a sunny, psych-pop mastery that splashes around in the colorful fountain of the Fab Four’s Magical Mystery Tour.
Comparisons to The Beatles don’t end there, as the mellow “Passion” and the mid-tempo strum of “Moving Van” — maybe the most well-crafted song of Springhouse’s catalog — betray warmer, more accessible intentions. Still, a little rain must fall, as it does in the folky cloudburst “Sea and Rain” and the gently plucked ballad “Time Runs Out,” whereas closer “Anew” opts for starting over in a moment of spare meditation, with light threads of gently distorted noise floating over the top. The contrast is beguiling.
Instrumental versions of six From Now to OK originals speak to the exquisite arrangements and ensemble playing here, every soft ripple and resigned sigh revealing more fleeting character among the added ephemera, which also includes the slowed and bouncy “Mercedes Marxist” demo “Rescue Work” and its Ben Folds vibe. Their take on James Mastro’s “No One Has to Know” is essential, upbeat pop-rock catnip, with a handful of live recordings combining dreamy sounds and substantive pop song structure in settings where such alchemy is tricky to pull off. But they manage to do it with aplomb. And to honor Springhouse’s under-appreciated artistry, From Now to OK gets a lovely letterpress-printed packaging, oversized and graphically vibrant, from the always reliable Independent Project Press. They’ve handled everything with care. ◼
