White Lighter is the third studio album by American indie rock band Typhoon. It was released in August 2013 and was their first studio album after the band signed with Roll Call Records.[1]

White Lighter
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 20, 2013
RecordedJanuary 2012 – February 2013
StudioPendarvis Farm
GenreIndie rock
Length46:11
LabelRoll Call
ProducerPaul Laxer
Typhoon chronology
Hunger and Thirst
(2010)
White Lighter
(2013)
Offerings
(2018)

Background edit

Typhoon front-man, Kyle Morton, wrote and composed all the songs on the album. As a child, Morton had a life threatening case of Lyme disease and suffered multiple organ failures. Ultimately he received a kidney transplant from his father, but he lost most of his childhood to the illness.[2] The album is a mixture of darkness hopelessness along with wanting for more and uplifting melodies.[3] At a concert in Boston, Morton shared the story behind the song named after a dilemma that shares his name, Morton's fork, which Morton explained as being "paralyzed by two equally bad choices," a situation he faced in his own past.[4]

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [5]
American Songwriter     [6]
EarBuddy          [7]

White Lighter was received with critical success. In regards to the band's sound and size, Hilary Saunders of Paste Magazine said "The band’s comparatively enormous size—marked by a horn section, string section and eclectic percussion—naturally exudes a boisterous optimism and familial charm."[8] Jonathan Doyle of the New Welsh Review said that for Morton, "For him, this fear is not vanity in the face of impermanence but rather an attempt to make sense of time we have had and still have."[9]

Track listing edit

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Prelude"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer0:17
2."Artificial Light"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer5:35
3."Young Fathers"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer4:27
4."Morton's Fork"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer3:22
5."Possible Deaths"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer2:09
6."The Lake"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer3:21
7."Dreams of Cannibalism"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer3:24
8."100 Years"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer3:05
9."Prosthetic Love"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer4:03
10."Hunger and Thirst"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer5:22
11."Caesar"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer0:53
12."Common Sentiments"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer4:36
13."Post Script"
  • Kyle Morton
Paul Laxer6:07
Total length:46:41

Release history edit

Country Date Label Format Catalog no.
United States August 20, 2013 Roll Call Digital
Maple Music Recordings/Roll Call Digital MRCD4860
Maple Music Recordings CD MRCD 6553
Roll Call CD ROL2-2386
Maple Music Recordings/Roll Call LP RCRLP 009
January 26, 2018 Roll Call Records LP 99961

Credits edit

Personnel edit

  • Kyle Morton – lead vocals, piano, guitar
  • Toby Tanabe – bass, vocals
  • Dave Hall – guitar, vocals
  • Shannon Steele – violin, vocals
  • Jen Hufnagel – violin, vocals
  • Pieter Hilton – drums, vocals
  • Alex Fitch – drums, vocals
  • Tyler Ferrin – horns, guitar, piano, vocals
  • Ryan McAlpin – trumpet, vocals
  • Eric Stipe – trumpet, vocals
  • Devin Gallagher – percussion, ukulele, vocals

Production edit

  • Recorded at Pendarvis Farm- Clackamas County, Oregon
  • Mixed by Jeff Stuart Saltzman
  • Mastering by Dave McNair
  • Artwork by Rick Delucco
  • Design by Toby Tanabe

References edit

  1. ^ "Typhoon - White Lighter". Roll Call Records. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  2. ^ "First Listen: Typhoon, 'White Lighter'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  3. ^ "Review | Typhoon – White Lighter". Music Savage. 2013-08-30. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  4. ^ Bedian, Knar (7 October 2013). "TYPHOON: AN ORCHESTRA, AN ONION? – 9/29/13 – BRIGHTON MUSIC HALL". Sound of Boston. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  5. ^ "White Lighter - Typhoon Songs, Reviews, Credits AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  6. ^ "Typhoon: White Lighter « American Songwriter". American Songwriter. 2013-08-16. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  7. ^ "Typhoon - White Lighter | Review | Earbuddy". Earbuddy. 2013-08-19. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  8. ^ "Typhoon: White Lighter". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  9. ^ Doyle, Jonathan (Fall 2013). "Typhoon's album White Lighter". New Welsh Review. Retrieved 2018-01-11.