Transformed: A Brief Review Of The New Album From The Building (Anthony LaMarca From The War On Drugs)

Anthony LaMarca is the current guitarist for The War On Drugs. He was also the drummer for St. Vincent and Dean & Britta. He's now releasing music under the name The Building. And the newest album is called PETRA and it's out on Concord Records on Friday. The record, austere and affecting, is one of the highlights of this week's slate of new releases.

PETRA is elegiac and rooted in some sort of modern folk tradition. "All Things Now" gently rambles, while "Purifier" is achingly tender. These two songs are so simple and unadorned that they nearly slip past like ambient music, while some numbers here ("Warning", "Transformed") are more reliant on subtle production effects and layers of instrumentation. LaMarca wisely lets the material here on PETRA unfold at a leisurely-yet-measured pace, and the album itself feels remarkably organic and considered. "When I Think Of You" is, despite its epic length, nearly a conventional indie-pop song, but closer "Peace's Eternal Truth Renews All" is better. It is, like some of the quieter tunes here, similar to material offered up by artists like Bert Jansch and Nick Drake in terms of intent, if not style.

Anthony LaMarca is making affecting music but letting the melodies and carefully-chosen bits of instrumentation convey the overall message. PETRA is not a record of showy playing, nor is it an ambient release. It is, however, fairly affecting for attentive, patient listeners.

Petra by The Building is out on Friday via Concord Records.

More details on The Building via the band's official Facebook page, or their official website.

[Photo: David Pokrivnak]