“Two-Headed Boy” - Neutral Milk Hotel
(Words/music: Jeff Magnum and Scott Spillane, available on In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Merge Records 1998)
To many music fans, Jeff Magnum is their white whale, minus the whole revenge part. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea inspired obsession in fans drawn in to his weird, dreamlike world inspire by reading Anne Frank’s diaries. In the decade since the album’s release, Magnum squarely sidestepped the spotlight his album earned, becoming a recluse who made only the most sporadic appearances on stage and on record. This only fueled his fans’ fanaticism, as his periodic emergences sent music geeks into camera phone induced freakouts, trying to document this now mythical figure. While nobody doubts his existence (he appears often enough to prevent those rumors from ever starting), it’s as mammoth event when he comes up for air and sings a song, even if it’s not one of his own.
The logical question inquires why Magnum, a man who hasn’t made a record in a decade, remains a figure that many of us long to see in person. “Two-Headed Boy” shows the magnetic quality of his songs, relying on unconventional imagery to tell his stories. Much has been said about the songs, but when I listen to this album and “Two-Headed Boy” in particular, I’m struck by the arresting quality of the performance. He doesn’t have “range” in the conventional sense, yet his voice accomplishes different things at different times. He’s nasally melodic and gives his odd imagery an appropriate voice whether he’s singing or whispering. However, the moments when Magnum cuts loose and wails nearly floor me; it feels like he’s rolling his eyes into the back of his head and letting every ounce of emotion out in one burst. Somehow, these squeals sounds both entirely human and otherworldly; at first he sounds the way I think that I sound in the car when I sing along, yet I also know that he’s connecting to a deep part of his soul that few of us can reach with our songs. Most importantly, Magnum knows how to use this sparingly – the acoustic guitar accompanying him builds tension, and Magnum holds back until the most opportune times. When it hits, it’s like an emotional sucker punch that leaves us reeling yet waiting for more. He seems to accomplish so much with so little, making it understandable why so many of us are left whale watching, hoping for a sighting even if it’s fleeting.
More on Neutral Milk Hotel: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm
7 Notes