tuneage: Neutral Milk Hotel - ”King of Carrot Flowers, pt. 1” I...

tuneage:

Neutral Milk Hotel - ”King of Carrot Flowers, pt. 1”

I was born eight to ten years too early. The bands that have the heaviest rotation in my iTunes are all ones who exploded on the charts throughout the 90s. When In the Aeroplane over the Sea was released, I was 9.

Now, granted, after the 2005 rerelease of this album, Neutral Milk Hotel has started getting the recognition they deserve. A 90s band with a unique sound, punctuated by Jeff Magnum’s unique voice, the acoustics and imagery are personal. Magnum tells us stories. Some are reminiscent of our own lives and others of familiar figures. The album was allegedly inspired by Anne Frank’s Diary of a Girl.

“The King of Carrot Flowers, pt. 1” reflects on the imperfect life of a girl as it parallels her physical and emotional relationship with Magnum’s narrator. At once romantic and beautiful but also tragic, the lyrics cumulate with the soft sounds of the song, forcing you to actively listen.

Unfortunately, the group broke up in 1999 with no signs of reuniting, and their old-school, still-has-their-1998-tour-dates-on-it website confirms that.