_{By Joe Vickrey}

Spencer Sanders is another fantastic artist I discovered through Velour’s Summer Battle of the Bands series. His eight-piece band wowed me with a beautiful mix of strings and woodwinds on top of a filled out rhythm section. Watching Spencer croon while playing piano was a definite highlight for me during the BotB season, and when I heard he was releasing an album this fall, I was quite eager to check it out. 

Almanac begins with the winding and turning of a music box before building into the symphonic waves of “Rust.” What I love about the song is that the lyrics change from trust and affection towards someone to hurt and anger before resolving to forgiveness – but not trust. It’s great character development and storytelling to fit in a song that’s just shy of five minutes long, all while keeping the chorus’s main sentiment: “Behind your shine there’s rust.”

The instrumentation throughout the album could be described as dense and lush in a comforting way. Almanac feels warm, cozy, and it makes me feel like I should be listening to it with soup and a blanket while watching snow fall. The string section, piano, guitars, and percussion all fit perfectly in the mix to underscore Spencer’s vocals and lyrics. The vocal performance is certainly the hero of the collection as it emotionally dives and soars through each song. 

While the orchestral swirl that adorns most of the tracks feels magical, “Maybe…” stood out for me because it’s guitar-centered, and I’m a one-dimensional character. I’ve never heard a song where I couldn’t tell if it was a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty outlook… and it’s cool that I can’t figure it out here. It’s like a bittersweet jubilee that bounces amidst uncertainty. Spencer knew exactly where to place the tracks with leaner arrangements for the most impact, and the flow of the album is so much more powerful because of them. 

In the best possible way, “The Cost” sounds like a Steven Universe musical number about a character who seems carefree and whimsical until you find out their heavy-hearted backstory. This cocktail lounge jazz number is a refreshing tune packed full of character. For me, it paints such a vivid picture of a vulnerable secret shared between two people becoming closer while holding hands and swaying through a busy restaurant. It’s rare charm. 

Spencer has beautifully crafted an album that sews together moments of disappointed optimism and hopeful songs that don’t always have resolution or happy endings. While this is a great collection that captures pains and healing under one roof, I’d love to hear more upbeat songs on his future releases. A lot of the subject matter on Almanac is on the heavier side. I in no way want to discount them, though I’d love to hear his orchestration skills and his clever lyrics in a celebratory theme on the next album. But yes, I’d absolutely crank another album of anguish and grief from Spencer Sanders any day of the week.

Spencer’s collaboration with The Penny Candies, “Bird Song,” gives me absolute goosebumps every time I hear it. Combining the childlike wonder and innocence of The Penny Candies album, Lemon (which I also reviewed here), with Spencer’s wishful and wistful thinking in adult-world realism, “Bird Song” is more than just a sum of the two artists’ talents. It’s probably my favorite song from both groups for its tender optimism and light, cheery arrangement. This track is a must for anyone who could use some wind beneath their wings. 

Closing the collection with “The Last Page” is an unfair move. It’s an absolute tearjerker, and it’s about books. I hate both of those things. What am I supposed to do with all this heartbreaking energy, Spencer?! What will people think when they drive by me sobbing while I crank this? Closing Almanac with the music box from the introduction was the ultimate gut punch finale. It’s the last nail in the masterfully crafted coffin for me. Spencer Sanders should be writing and scoring Broadway musicals. He’s just that good. His use of motifs and builds are second to none, and Almanac is the diamond made from the pressures of his traumas. Bravo! 

Make sure to follow Spencer Sanders on Instagram and listen to “Golden Age” below!