Review: Tobias the Owl Brings Universal Soul on ‘Every Eye Is a Universe’
I had no idea who or what Tobias the Owl is prior to Every Eye Is a Universe. I’m now wondering what took me so long to learn it is Elijah Dhavvan and a host of other amazing musicians. Although I’ve seen the band’s name around on internet radio and show bills, I had never seen Tobias the Owl personally, or heard a single song. That’s what I get for ignoring my friends who tried to tell me about this band. All I can say to them is, “Praise the saints, I’ve been saved and I’m sorry I didn’t heed your advice before this!”
In pre-release now and releasing into the wild blue yonder on August 26th, Tobias the Owl’s Every Eye is a Universe is exactly what I’ve been missing in my search for modern folk music that matters. When a songwriter can create a song about the human condition with such skill and intimacy, I am a happy folkie.
These songs, however, go beyond the boundaries of the folk genre; they reach into a heart space that can’t be denied or disregarded. The pedigreed list of musicians, technicians and artists on this body of work is impressive. It’s understandable that so many people would want to contribute to such a masterful vision and distinct emotional expression of collective experience. The universal appeal of this collection caught the eye of that big ol’ caffeine huckster, Starbucks, and now three of the tunes are part of the international rotation inside the coffee stores.
Produced by Geoff Ott, someone whose work I respect, this is a beautiful piece of work. The work of Phil Hirschi is unmistakable on this disc. As I’ve noticed with many northwest acts that put out exceptional work, it is easy to hear London Tone and London Bridge Studio’s stamp on this album.
In “The Wind and The Echo,” we hear how love creates the places we call home, wherever that may be. The lyrics were born as the result of a walk through desolation and industrial abandonment. The fact that there’s hopefulness about which he can sing and write in the middle of what would otherwise be a depressing circumstance, makes me want to invite him to dinner and have a real conversation about the state of the world.
Elijah Dhavvan says he is grateful for the collaborators on his album and named a big long list of folks, acclaimed here and other places, including Scott Seiver (Tenacious D, Aimee Mann), Tim Van Buren (Mary Lambert), Andrew D.B. Joslyn (Macklemore), Phil Hirschi (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Saint John and the Revlelations), and many others.
Every Eye is a Universe was co-Produced by Marvin Etzioni and mastered by Bernie Grundman.
I heard a bit of John Prine in the intimate story of the songs, the sensitivity of Emmy Lou, both which Dhavvan said are influences, but this collection is clearly a synergistic result of love and mutual respect between all the musicians who participated in this endeavor.
(You can pre-order Every Eye Is a Universe via iTunes or Amazon and receive it immediately upon its release this Friday. Stream a live version of “Sing Me to Sleep” below via YouTube.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3G7GPtitQE&feature=youtu.be
