Raised in a Place Review
If the phrase Time Crisis means nothing to you, I am simultaneously very excited, but sad that you won’t understand the layered nature of this EP right off the bat. Raised in a Place is the third EP from the group Mountain Brews, which was founded by American painter and radio personality, Jake Longstreth (brother of Dave Longstreth from Dirty Projectors).
For brief context, Time Crisis (TC) is an Apple Music radio show hosted by Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend and Jake Longstreth (Seinfeld2000 and Nick Weidenfeld are also notable members of the weekly crew). Topics range from the tasteful palette of 70s rock, to corporate food history (Flaming Hot Cheetos, Reese’s, Wendy’s etc.), and they always bring it back to The Grateful Dead. In a show that could be perceived as a primarily music program from the outside, there is actually nothing off limits. Sometimes in the span of an episode, music is barely touched upon! It’s a casual, jovial atmosphere in which no one takes themselves too seriously and is a space for absurdity and curiosity. I have been an avid listener since the beginning, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
Raised in a Place is undoubtedly tasteful and feels like such a companion piece to TC. With the 80s production and piano licks similar to that of guest of the show, Bruce Hornsby, it has ample space for jamming that feels necessary and lighthearted. It also must be noted that Longstreth and many of the contributors are a part of a Grateful Dead cover band called Richard Pictures, so they have a history of working together and this can easily be heard. I was lucky enough to see them open for Vampire Weekend at their Chicago stop last year.
I think what I love about these four songs that make up Raised in a Place is the humor. TC consistently makes me laugh, and it all comes from how earnest it is. Longstreth and Koenig live life with their own specific magnifying glasses and bring their observations to the show and they blossom into something new. This EP is similar to that, just in a purely musical front. Both mediums thrive over collaboration and it’s so obvious how both this EP and the show are perfectly crafted.
The most obviously funny song is “The Worst Margarita of my Life”. This stemmed from a story that Longstreth told on the show about a horrible margarita he had at Dodgers Stadium, and then it grew into a joke on how it would make a great song. He then made it a reality. To make it even better Koenig contributes backing vocals alongside Danielle Haim who is a friend of the show and was also heavily featured on Vampire Weekend’s most recent album, Father of the Bride.
“I swear it was flat Mountain Dew / Mixed with tequila for a noxious brew.”
I love light-hearted rock and I feel like there is so much room for comedy in music, so whenever I see it peak through, it really speaks to me. As someone who is admittedly half-way to being a full-fledged Parrot Head and has a soft spot for Jimmy Buffett, I will always welcome another margarita-based saga into my life.
The synths in “Big Bummer Hotel” remind me of a John Hughes movie in the best way possible. This might be because I just watched Planes, Trains and Automobiles on Thanksgiving, but this song (although not plot-wise) works really well because those motels that John Candy and Steve Martin had to stay in were major bummers! Also, it must be noted that the synths used in that movie’s soundtrack are absolutely buck-wild and beautiful. I love how Longstreth writes about hyper-specific moments. They could all be things that happen to the listener. It brings us closer to the work. Someone could be living that right now.
Longstreth is also a very talented painter. His style is similar to David Hockney in the way that they both use flat planes of bright colors to show depth and realism. Many of Longstreth’s paintings are of abandoned places of business. My favorites are the one of Toys R Us and another one of a Chuck E. Cheese establishment. Longstreth is a master at painting actual landscapes and this translates wonderfully into audio. There is an inherent tie to this in the title track “Raised in a Place” as well as “Spring Wind”, since both of them are very naturally based. But in “Raised in a Place” there’s definitely much more of a struggle with the natural and familiar world running into a more corporate one. Especially when he specifically references an old pumpkin patch, one that he knew from his childhood, that has since been turned into a Target.
Creativity can stem from anywhere, and I can relate with ideas and projects stemming from unassuming conversations with my friends over a bag of potato chips. Even though I don’t know any members of the Crisis Crew personally, I still enjoyed being in on the joke and I really value the community of TC, and I live my life by the core values of TC. I hope this is able to translate outside of the TC Universe and outsiders will still be able to absorb the pure joy and immaculate vibes from this EP.
Listen to Time Crisis on Apple Music here.