All I know of Wyoming is what a friend Tweets of her hometown. There’s a mall with creepy old men, a place that markets to cowboys and a lot of pretty scenery. Now I know there’s some musical talent lurking about as well thanks to reading through ap.net. Illustrated Manual set out in 2008 to make a record and in June of 2011 wrapped things up and now is sharing The Long And Tangled Beard with the world. While other sites pegged Illustrated Manual for a Death Cab For Cutie like experience, I heard something a bit different throughout my time with the record.
Right away “Silver Birch” screamed “Vh1 You Outta Know” at me. As the most energetic song off the record, the vocals had the same power that can be found in Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody’s voice. The rest of the record played like indie, singer-songwriter Landon Pigg though. Like Pigg, Illustrated Manual rely on the words to act as a warm cup of cocoa for listeners. The audience is comforted in the emotional tone with lines like “…don’t let the sun go down on your love” from “Windfarms.”
The record was an all-around toasty night by the fire, but there wasn’t a song I gravitated towards personally until the end when “An Elephants Take on Things” began. Whether it was a personal account for one of the men behind Illustrated Manual or really that of an elephant, I was moved with one single line, “four younger brothers have all passed away and I don’t remember their names.”
Wyoming is a place of mystery to me and one state I may never see, but at least I can associate it with Illustrated Manual’s now. I myself am a fan of Landon Pigg, so if you are too and also have a love for the softer side of Pedro the Lion, then Illustrated Manual is for you. The Long And Tangled Beard is out now, so get it if you’re into indie music that has a singer-songwriter backbone.
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