From Deep Fry Bonanza
http://www.dfbpunk.com/reviews.php?id=3428
By Philli

You may (but probably don’t) remember seeing Summer at Shatter Creek’s eponymous debut on my best of 2003 list. That record captured everything I had always wished Grandaddy would do, and on top of all of the orchestrated pop goodness, Craig Michael Gurwich’s sonorous, Buckley-esque voice single-handedly carried the album to a level that few chamber pop acts ever reach. Suffice it to say, then, that I was pretty excited to get this EP in the mail.

That excitement waned a bit, unfortunately, when I opened up the digipak and discovered that these songs were in fact stripped down versions of select cuts slated to appear on an upcoming full-length. While I’m a firm believer in the theory that a good pop song will still hold up when it’s broken down to just a guy singing over an acoustic guitar or, as the case may be here, a piano, the lush accompaniments that Gurwich cooked up were a large part of what made SASC’s debut so special. With my find firmly entrenched in doubt, I popped the EP in…and wasn’t blown away. I wasn’t even really that interested. The songs were nice enough, and all, but they were so mopey, so brittle, so lonely that I knew I’d have to sit down and spend a lot of time with them before I could begin to appreciate them.

Well, I finally got around to spending that quality time with Sink or Swim, and I can now say that Summer at Shatter Creek is just as effective in an acoustic environment. Without all of the bells and whistles, Gurwich’s voice is allowed to shine even more brightly than it normally does. The combination of Gurwich’s glorious tenor and brooding, heavy piano lines is downright haunting, to the point that I’m occasionally reminded of early ’90s 4AD freaks His Name Is Alive. As for the songs themselves, not a lot has changed. Though Gurwich’s compositions never move along at more than a steady crawl, every one of them contains a golden hook, and his maudlin, self-deprecating lyrics complement their musical surroundings without going so far as to make the whole affair come off as too emotionally draining. If you’ve got the patience, this EP is well worth your time. Now I just hope that the full-length expands on these sketches.

Redder Records has been posting unique mp3’s on its site off and on. These are songs you won’t hear anywhere else, songs recorded for fun primarily, for experimentation, or perhaps even early demos. The three songs most recently available from Summer at Shatter Creek are a perfect example. They’re covers of Mogwai songs from Mogwai’s EP +2 album, and if that doesn’t tease your taste buds, I don’t know what will.

“Stanley Kubrick” is done here by the one-man project Summer at Shatter Creek in an even quieter, more subtle feel. It floats along gently, with piano and light percussion drifting under the most perfect layering of vocals. Backup vocals come in almost angelically. It creates something even more dreamy than the original, and while it’s clearly Mogwai’s song, it’s done undeniably in Summer at Shatter Creek’s contemplative yet rich style.

Production is the key word here. Craig Gurwich, the genius behind this project, can do a lot with what should be a little. As on his last EP, the production here is rich and lush, layered without being overpowering in the least. It’s an interesting approach, and Mogwai fans might really enjoy checking this unique effort out.

Craig Gurwich, the man behind Summer at Shatter Creek, is one of those rare musicians who can do it all, turning out primarily self-recorded albums that full bands should be desperate for. Yet his musical ability, his placid yet pleasing voice, and his ear for production can turn even this—a bare-bones and stripped-down EP—into something remarkable in its beauty and depth.

You might be surprised to hear that the only instruments on Sink or Swim are Gurwich’s piano and his voice. Yet through the genius production qualities, the sound is incredibly deep, and Gurwich’s voice is more than strong enough to carry the songs, often layered with haunting and powerful ghost-like backing vocals. It simultaneously feels simple and extremely complex, light and airy yet by no means sparse.

The EP’s opener, “Something to Calm Me,” is calming, like its name, but also more classical in feel. The piano is rich and vibrant, the vocals blending beautifully. The more dreamy “Optimistic” flows sweetly, the backing vocals playing an especially prominent role. The melancholy “Rebecca” is a soft and sweet love song, while “Worlds Away” livens things up a bit more, bringing a bit more bombast into the piano and lush vocals—both lead and the atmospheric backing vocals. The latter is undoubtedly my favorite song here, and probably the one that would most benefit from a more fleshed-out performance with added instrumentation. The piano on “Your Ever Changing Moods” is even more impressive, working out a lilting yet energetic piano line that mixes nicely with the rather dark feel of the song itself.

The formula doesn’t vary much on Sink or Swim, but neither do these songs sound the same or get old too quick. Gurwich is obviously talented, crafting wonderful piano-led pop songs in a laid-back, melancholy manner. There’re rumors that more fleshed out versions of these songs will appear on a later Summer at Shatter Creek album, but they’re perfect as they are.

Summer at Shatter Creek (the moniker musician Craig Gurwich goes by) recently released the new EP, Sink or Swim, on Rochester’s own nationally-distributed Redder Records. Piano-based indie rock that is moody, dark and stirring, Gurwich’s sound crosses Radiohead with Tori Amos, with perfectly suited haunting and vulnerable vocals. Give this one a listen, see redderrecords.com...

When you write for Indie Workshop, Christmas comes about once every three weeks; Santa is actually named Jake Haselman and Mrs. Claus is Steph Haselman. Among the June 1st collection of Christmas presents sits Craig Gurwich, known in band form as Summer at Shatter Creek.

This album is the best Christmas present one could get. It’s like when you’re 6 years old and after opening up a few boxes of pajamas, you get that Nintendo and to make it the best Christmas ever, Dad has splurged and bought Contra and Jackal. This was how I felt after listening to some not-so-good CDs and then finally getting to Sink or Swim.

These five bare songs are quiet, piano-based ballads that are perfect for nights of low burning candles and rum that marches down your throat, confederate flag in hand. “Optimistic” is anything but, yet that’s what makes it so good. Gurwich’s voice is joined here by soft angelic voices that compliment his quivering voice perfectly. At times he also over dubs his own voice in the background, but the effects make it sound like he’s stuck in an old church and he’s singing from inside. “World’s Away” actually gave me shivers, real homegrown goose bumps on my lower back. Lower back, you say? Ya, lower back goose bumps. It’s a haunting chamber song with piano, soft vocals, and the sound of what again appears to be angels in the background.

The inside cover of the casing reads: “all songs are stripped down versions from the full length out fall 2004”. What the hell for? Why add to this? Minimalism is genius as much as orchestras are; I say leave it as it is. However, if the full length is half as good as this EP, then the boys of summer better do well to come up with something damn good cause the fall release will surely be a much wanted Christmas present.

There are only rare instances where a combination of a solo vocalist and a piano can sound so somber and exquisite. Interestingly enough, this vocalist’s inspiration comes from his experiences working at a summer snowboarding camp in Oregon, thus the name, Summer at Shatter Creek. This five song EP, Sink or Swim is beautifully crafted and the brain behind the music, Craig Gurwich, is among the few and exceptional. His vocals have somewhat of a Radiohead-esque quality, but Gurwich shows he is capable of much more evocative and gentle words.

The EP starts off deeply with “Something to Calm Me”, which indeed accomplishes the deed of consoling and soothing a busy mind. The piano parts are very steady and the words are sung very faintly, almost like a whisper. A particular favorite was “Worlds Away”. I couldn’t help but keep it on repeat on my CD player. The melody is definitely catchy, and the lyrics leave a feeling of nostalgia. There are a few backup vocals that resonate as very dreamy and mystical. He recites longingly, “If life is just a bunch of memories…Then what are these?” and you can’t help but sing along. It’s great that each song has its own unique melodies and creates an individual mood.

Gurwich truly has the gift of making something so simple sound so gorgeous and have complex meaning. Whether you’re a fan of the piano or not, this is a must-listen for everyone. Also, the full length on Absolutely Kosher records is now released.

When I receive a record for review, I try my best not to read other reviews, because I feel it's my duty as a reviewer to offer you my unadulterated opinion. I even tend to avoid reading the press packets, unless it’s a band that really strikes my fancy or interesting or I just happen to be bored at the moment. As editor, I want to give you my impression of a record. But, being human, sometimes I slip up, and I did so for this record. It was accidental, I swear; I really wasn’t paying attention to what I was reading, but I hadn't really paid attention to the fact that I’d received it, either. So I read a review, and then I read another. Repeat as necessary. I wasn’t intending to stray...it just...happened. Forgive me, please.

I soon discovered that everybody’s saying the same thing about this record, and, damn it, I have no other choice than to serve to add to the critical Greek chorus. This little limited-edition disc is, as stated in the liner notes, “stripped down versions from the full length due fall 2004.” And, of course, I have to say what everybody else has said: DON'T TOUCH THESE SONGS! These five songs are all piano-based, and they’re all...really, really sad. Not sad in a “oh, woe is me” kind of way—sad in a classy, respectable melancholy kind of way. Shatter Creek mastermind Craig Gurwich’s voice falls somewhere between Mark Kozelek and Thom Yorke, and this is a good thing, because he writes really moving little songs. Though everything on Sink or Swim is equally touching, I’m most moved by “Rebecca,” due in part to some really great vocals that are enhanced by echoes. I might add that this record sounds like what Kid A or Amnesiac could have been as well as what Coldplay will soon be.

Using pianos and swooping, overdubbed voices to spread palpable waves of sadness, Summer at Shatter Creek knows its way around atmosphere. The product of one guy named Craig Gurwich, the Sink or Swim EP (Redder, summeratshattercreek.com) does portent better than it does lyrical insight—Gurwich’s vocals are as beautiful as his piano work, and they enunciate his lyrics about as clearly—but the overall effect is dreamily bracing throughout. A full-length follow-up is due this fall, and it’s slated to flesh out some of these songs in full-band form, a tantalizing prospect if ever there was one...

Every so often, a CD comes along that makes it all worthwhile, that makes it worth sifting through stacks upon stacks of mediocre punk and emo bands, bland electronica, and artists who think you might be interested simply because you happen to share similar religious beliefs. So when a CD like Summer at Shatter Creek’s Sink or Swim arrives in the midst of this, it feels like a tiny little blessing.

As is usually the case with many of the CD’s I receive, I first listened to this at work. And within the first 15 seconds of the aptly-titled “Something to Calm Me”, my office and co-workers just seemed to disappear. The EP’s approach is quite simple—it’s just one man named Craig Gurwich, his unearthly voice, a piano, and an empty room. “Something to Calm Me” uses this very sparse and stripped down arrangement to staggering and haunting effect, layering Gurwich’s delicate voice over rolling, evocative piano melodies.

The remainder of the EP furthers and strengthens the fragile mood created by the opening track. “Worlds Away” matches the beauty of “Something to Calm Me” stride for stride, and maybe even exceeds it. Gurwich’s vocals are even more spectral this time around, lending the song a funereal air that’s both solemn and wistful. And as each piano note rings out, bathed in echo and reverb (not the studio kind, but the kind that only seems to exist in old, weatherbeaten houses that may or may not have a few sad ghosts floating down their hallways), they seem to shimmer with a sort of sad nostalgia that proves quite affecting.

The most ready comparison might be to Linford Detweiler’s solo albums. But there’s something even sadder and more affecting at work here. Most likely, it’s Gurwich’s use of his vocals that adds the additional punch. Also, there’s a much “lower-fi” quality to Gurwich’s recording, a certain rawness and lack of polish that serves only to add to the CD’s intimacy, that draws in the listener and surrounds them.

In the liner notes, Gurwich notes that these are actually stripped down versions of songs from his upcoming full-length (due out this fall). And for the life of me, I can’t imagine what could (or should) be added to these songs. They’re very nearly perfect as they are, in their rough, stripped down form. Part of me is almost reluctant to check out the rest of Gurwich’s catalog, as this EP seems to exist in its own timeless emotional space—and I don’t want to ruin that. But on the other hand, I’m curious to see how Gurwich’s music unfolds, and what other elements he might weave into an already haunting sound.

This five-song collection of finely honed piano tunes and gentle vocals makes for an interesting listen. Summer at Shatter Creek, AKA Craig Gurwich, has produced a record that is brilliantly soft and sweet while still managing to deliver sharp messages through its lyrical content. Yeah, these songs are definitely worth a listen to. (Key tracks: Optimistic, Rebecca, Worlds Away, Something to Move Me.)

The piano lines are artfully dangled in between verses and choruses; the real beauty of Creek’s music is listening to the notes that aren’t there. His tonal choices are brilliant, but listening to the music that he didn’t actually include (i.e., the stuff you hear in your head) makes the music seem that much greater. Pick this up and try it out.

*4 of 5 rating

Before this week I’d never heard of the awkwardly titled Summer at Shatter Creek, which is the work of one Craig Michael Gurwich, one-man-band extraordinaire. All four of the mp3’s available for free on his webpage are worth a listen, but “World’s Away,” from his new Sink or Swim EP, which was released Tuesday, is the one that appeals to me most. As soon as I heard this song, it forcefully reminded me of something else—but for days I couldn’t figure out what it was. That’s enough to drive a person crazy, and I’ve been playing it for all my friends, hoping one of them could pinpoint the sound-a-like. Finally today I realized that the song it’s reminding me of is Gary Jules’ cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World,” which I’ve already written about in this column. Not that Craig Michael is ripping off “Mad World,” but the voice, the melody, and the whole ambience of the song is very similar. “World’s Away” isn’t quite as slick, though—the piano is pure Cat Power, a few inexpertly played chords with the sustain pedal jammed down from start to finish, Chan Marshall-style, in a surprisingly effective ploy for atmosphere.

The third release from pianist Craig Gurwich is a solitary excursion into ethereal vocals and spacey mood pieces. The five songs on this EP sound as if they were recorded at a Gregorian monastery devoted to Elton John. Gurwich’s lone piano leads a tortured path through these slow tunes, as an otherworldly back-up chorus moans and groans as a foundation for his high-pitched lead vocals. His mother did do an incredible needlepoint cover for the album, a veritable folk-art masterpiece in and of itself. Though Gurwich is a talented songwriter and performer, this type of musical introspection leads to commercial suicide. On the other hand, some musicians write music for themselves and tell the world to go hang. Sometimes commercial suicide can be beautiful.

1) Summer at Shatter Creek is my nominee for the coveted Splendid “Worst Name for a Band That Doesn’t Suck 2004” award. Seriously, how on earth did this name ever sound like a good idea?

2) For purposes of this review, the only SaSC representative whose work appears on Sink or Swim, Craig Gurwich (who may, indeed, embody this terrible, terrible moniker all by his talented self), will be referred to as “Yom Thorke”, for reasons that should become apparent the second you click the “listen” link to the left.

Thorke has done an admirable job of crafting an interesting EP that effectively primes potential listeners’ ears for a promised full-length and stands on its own, of a piece. The songs collected here provide only piano and production effects as accompaniment for YT’s soaring, eerie, cascading vocals. As the album promises fuller arrangements, even those who purchase both are not going to end up with one shorter, redundant disc at the end of the two transactions. Oh, and Yom’s mother actually stitched the little picture that comprises the disc’s cover. Cute.

The songs are, for the most part, excellent. Any self-similarity that the EP demonstrates can probably be safely laid at the feet of the continuity of accompaniment and vocal approach: while Thorke’s good-enough-for-government-work piano lines are a bit too ham-fisted to carry five tunes in a row, that voice more than makes up for it. It's safe to say that everyone who has missed Mr. Radiohead’s shattering high-points over that band’s last few releases may have found their new hero.

I look forward to hearing both the full-band arrangements of the songs collected here and a number of entirely new songs. More importantly, though, I look forward to hearing whether the YT/TY similarities stretch beyond the voices. I have high hopes.

Craig Gurwich is economically with its means and obtained nevertheless the greatest possible effect. It combined five schemenhafte song beautifulnesses into an EP, their harmonies sigh to let and every now and then the breath take.

Craig Gurwich is Summer at Shatter Creek. In the single-handed attempt it produced and works so far one album and two EP’s on album number two. In the single-handed attempt it creates taking and agitating songs, every now and then somewhat spherically resounded, but always with safe hand led to an existence as great song. Gurwich sings high and sad to guitar and piano. It takes the liberty small Spielereien and creates a hinreissendes whole.

The current small collection from Gurwich songs is called Sink or Swim, with Redder Records appeared and can all friends of the large song of the small gestures, to which nostalgia sketch hoping and beautiful music are only recommended. Likewise with Redder there are records at present a Summer at Shatter Creek experiment to the download: Three instrumental of Mogwai tracks, over which Craig Gurwich put his voice and his harmony understanding. With an enterprise of this kind erbaermlich to go down, fate already does not require. This singer calls this fate its own—and creates, actually, most beautiful.

I was playing this album in my laptop today, and the program that I was using classified it as “General Unclassifiable.” After listening to it, I replaced that strange listing with “Generally Awesome” because that’s exactly what the music on this disc is. Craig Gurwich, the multi-talented musician who makes up Summer at Shatter Creek, has quite a knack for tugging at the heart strings, and that skill is on full display with his latest release, Sink or Swim. It is an excellent reminder of how powerful just a piano and a voice can be in the right setting.

Gurwich released his self-titled debut last year, and is already planning a full length for later this year. What is interesting about Sink or Swim is that the five songs are stripped down versions of tracks that will appear on the full length. Considering how impressive they are in this bare condition, I cannot wait to hear what they evolve into. I don’t know a lot about the intricacies of the piano, but I do appreciate it, and I like the arrangements that appear here. But what is most startling is Gurwich’s voice. It has that haunting Thom Yorke quality to it.

Sink or Swim isn’t an album you listen to during the day. It is best suited for the late hours, preferably with the lights off. The lyrics tell the story of a broken relationship, and while that is an often explored topic, it will always be effective in the right song-writer’s hands. Gurwich knows what he’s doing, and if he doesn’t, then he’s doing a pretty good job of faking it. If he can keep hammering out songs such as the mesmerizing “Worlds Away,” then he will have no problem making a name for himself.

Imagine you’re at some smoky old piano bar. Now imagine Tori Amos playing the piano and Thom Yorke singing.