Drawn to Dust is the pop debut of indie film score composer Max Avery Lichtenstein (Tarnation, Jesus' Son, etc.), working under the collective name
Camphor. As one would expect from an artist with Lichtenstein's background, there is an uncannily cinematic quality to
Drawn to Dust: tracks like the opening "Daybreak" and the mid-album respite for strings, "Beauty in Ruins," are as carefully orchestrated and exquisitely arranged as the most effective film score. Even more pop-oriented songs, like the country-tinged "Castaway" and "Confidences Shattered" have an epic, elegant quality one doesn't often associate with this brand of indie rock. The closest musical comparisons are
Broken Social Scene (a similarly open-ended, collective structure that adds greatly to the album's sonic variety) and
Talk Talk, whose later albums delved into a similar blend of dreamy pop, modern classical, and third stream jazz. The album's secret weapon, however, is that Lichtenstein turns out to be a surprisingly effective pop songwriter, with a particular knack for choruses that subtly insinuate themselves into the subconscious after only a couple listens. Even a lot of the best-known bands working in this approximate style, including the
Flaming Lips, get by on atmosphere and vibe much of the time, but
Drawn to Dust's combination of lovely, often fascinating layered arrangements and substantial melodies makes it a more satisfying album than many similar works. ~ Stewart Mason