What makes Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud by The Microphones notable?

The album received critical acclaim for its intimate production style and lyrical depth, helping to further establish The Microphones as key figures in the indie music landscape. It also paved the way for subsequent projects by Elvrum under his own name and his later project, Mount Eerie, influencing a generation of indie artists seeking authenticity in their sound. Released in 2002, Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud is The Microphones' third full-length album, following their acclaimed 2001 release, The Glow Pt. 2. At this point in Phil Elvrum's career, he was solidifying his unique sound within the indie folk scene, marked by an increasingly personal and lo-fi aesthetic that would define his future work.

Who is Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud for?

Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud works well if you're into whimsical melodies with haunting undertones, short tracks for quick reflections and fragile beauty in uncertain themes.

How many songs are on Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud?

Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud has 18 tracks, running approximately 39 minutes.

Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud

The Microphones · 2002

39 min · 18 tracks · indie rock

A delicate tapestry of lo-fi folk sounds intertwined with introspective lyrics and ephemeral melodies exploring themes of fear and vulnerability.

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Top tracks — play these first

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Oh You Coward — This track stands out for its raw emotion and dynamic shifts, capturing the essence of the album’s exploration of fear and self-doubt.
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I've Climbed Mountains — Here, Elvrum employs vivid imagery that encapsulates the struggle between aspiration and anxiety, making it representative of the album's overarching themes.
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Phil Elvrum's Will — In just over a minute, this track distills Elvrum's contemplative approach to mortality and legacy, exemplifying the album's introspective nature.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

whimsical melodies with haunting undertones
short tracks for quick reflections
fragile beauty in uncertain themes
introspective listening during solitude

Maybe skip if you

seeking high-energy engagement
prefer straightforward song structures

Where this album fits

Career context: Released in 2002, Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud is The Microphones' third full-length album, following their acclaimed 2001 release, The Glow Pt. 2. At this point in Phil Elvrum's career, he was solidifying his unique sound within the indie folk scene, marked by an increasingly personal and lo-fi aesthetic that would define his future work.
Stylistic neighbors: Mount Eerie· Sufjan Stevens· Iron & Wine

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

1 "I look just like you tree" 1:31
2 "Oh You Coward" 3:44
3 "I Was Afraid All of the Day" 2:36
4 "These Graces Aren't the Whole 2:16
5 "I've Climbed Mountains" 3:27
6 "Samurai Sword/I Will Not Contain You" 2:18
7 "For My Friends to See" 3:44
8 "My Body Holds Songs" 2:06
9 "We All Hum Like That Soon" 3:12
10 "Whose Blood Is This?" 3:40
11 "Phil Elvrum's Will" 1:15
12 "Three Steps" 1:13
13 "I'm an Iceberg in a Mountain" 2:38
14 "I Can See the Glowing Core in You" 1:09
15 "Waking from My Zombie Slumber" 0:58
16 "In a Tiger's Jaw, Loving, Living, Raw" 0:58
17 "I Feel Her Breath Blow" 0:45
18 "Painful Storms Will Always Come to Blur My Way" 1:40

What to play next

Listen next

Mount Eerie

2003

Go back to

Song Islands

2002

Full The Microphones discography Artists like The Microphones

indie folk indie rock

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata