(PHOTO COURTESY/KRIS ORLOWSKI) Kris Orlowski (Above) recently released a stripped down EP entitled Columbia City Theater Sessiosn. It returns to his more intimate acoustic style and captures the magic of his solo performances.
Fall means rain for the Northwest. Lots of rain. But despite the gloomy Tacoma winter outside, it all seemed to lift, if only for a moment, one night in November.
Pacific Northwest musician Kris Orlowski graced Puget Sound this November with a moving performance in Oppenheimer Café. He left the crowd smiling with his knockout set and his willingness to answer questions with clever and thoughtful responses.
Orlowski’s intimate, stripped-down acoustic sound in this performance made his songs all the more enchanting; the simple musical accompaniment undergirded his beautiful vocals, which were both technically impressive and strikingly sincere.
Such acoustic performances have become a rarity for him, given that in recent months he has been working on his first full-length album Believer, which makes use of electric instruments and was recorded with a full band.
His recently released Columbia City Theater Sessions, however, is an EP that returns to his more intimate acoustic style and captures all the magic of his solo act.
The EP is composed of four songs: the first three written by Orlowski himself and produced by Damien Jurado, another Seattle songwriter.
It is clear the duo make an impressive team. Jurado’s work is mellow and folksy, much like Orlowski’s own style. Notably, Jurado’s songs feature wistful, downcast melodies as opposed to the patently uplifting tone of Orlowski’s. The contrast only makes the collaboration more interesting.
The first two tracks on the EP, “Believer” and “Fighting The War” are re-envisioned versions of songs off the LP. These bare-bones acoustic versions are at times joyful and at others stinging with emotion, perhaps a result of the combined aesthetics of Jurado and Orlowski.
“Winter, winter” stands out on the album. A brand new song, it was released for the first time on this EP.
The song has a great style, and is a reminder to listeners of the enormous pool of talent Orlowski has up his sleeve. “Winter, winter” is something of a departure from the mood of Orlowski’s other work. The track is more thoughtful, and slightly darker. That is, as dark as you can call a song by Orlowski, whose music is characteristically warm and upbeat. The result? Simply put: beautiful.
He reaches an emotional high in the refrain, which begins, “I’ll follow you to the heavens.”
Instrumentally, the song is simplified to just a guitar, which is played with a soft, waltzy strumming. The instrumental restraint only draws attention to the power of Orlowskis downy, emotionally rich voice.
The final song is the album version of the title track of Believer. The ending brings the EP full circle from the first track, an acoustic version of the same song. The last song swells with energy, bursting with its electric, full band sound. This is in contrast to the simplicity of the acoustic tracks leading up to it. The song’s buoyant mood meets the optimism of the lyrics.
The rich acoustic beginning and the electric finale ties the album together in a wonderful balance.
