Creature - Night Light
You’ve surely heard it time and time again. The mantra that us in music journalism, photography, and business say so much it almost loses its meaning. “Support local music, keep the scene alive!” I have a sticker with those exact words on my water bottle for crying out loud but it seems that this message doesn’t quite stick with people, at least those who are outsiders looking in with no real grasp on how the industry works. Many times I’ve attended performances by local artists with lackluster crowds and it’s even gotten to the point where several locals have moved to more inclusive cities or just retired altogether from the absence of listeners and support. An artist that’s been able to overcome this hurdle in Grand Rapids (or Michigan as a unit, depending on how you view it), however, is Seth Bernard.
It is with pride that I can say I’ve worked with Bernard before and he has by far been the most helpful and insightful artist I’ve communicated with. I interviewed him last summer in regard to the album Unrest and Rest, which was dropped in September of 2023, and at that point he was releasing and playing music under his own name as a solo project. read the interview here
Now, though, he’s collaborated with fellow musician Gabrielle Schaub who funnily enough, helped contribute to Unrest and Rest last year, and they are calling themselves Creature. According to an Instagram post from May of this year, Bernard and Schaub have been co-writing and working together on songs over the last eight years and around this time last summer, they recorded an album’s worth of music they’d been working on with sound engineer Nick Holden at Theo Katzman’s Cinnamon Ranch alongside cellist Jordan Hamilton. After mixing and mastering by Ian Gorman and Samuel Peters at Kalamazoo’s own La Luna Recording, Creature’s album was born. Fast forward to now right on the day of the 2024 summer solstice, Creature has released Night Light; their debut record.
When it comes to breaking down full-length records such as Night Light, I often pick out just a couple tracks that really do the entire LP justice and for this album, I chose three out of the ten that Creature gave us. They are perfect emblems of this project from a sound and lyrical standpoint but don’t be fooled, this entire album is divine and the purest sense of magic.
Track #3 - Skipping Stones
A recurring word that kept coming up for me during the listening and pre-writing process for this review was “whimsical”. Schaub’s voice is nothing short of dreamy and due to her tender cadence, every song manages to feel like a warm hug, Skipping Stones in particular. It’s nostalgic despite being brand new but perhaps that’s because it sounds like it could be found in the soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings, a trilogy I grew up with. It is spectral and comforting and it sticks to this theme of whimsy and fantasy, as the lyrics reflect elements of nature and Earth (hence the title) which really amp up this established genre of “mystic folk” described in their artist bio(s). Jordan Hamilton, as mentioned in the introduction, really shines in this piece as well on the cello. It’s a dark contrast to the rest of the song’s factors but it only benefits the final project with a much-appreciated balance.
Track #6 - Kingfisher
When first reading the tracklist, I laughed at this song’s title, immediately thinking of the song of the same name by Wolf People, a progressive band from England. Though both pieces hold foundations of otherworldliness and experimentation, Creature’s is much more Jack Johnson-esque in nature. Again, Schaub’s vocals hold an intonation that is uncanny to similar singers’ such as Tyler Heath (The Oh Hellos) and Minnie Riperton and the lyrics reflect components of the outdoors, as a Kingfisher is a type of bird commonly found in tropical regions. They symbolize abundance, prosperity, and love, too.
Instrumentally, this track is more “stripped down” in comparison to its predecessors and those to follow but it’s the type of song that doesn’t need additional horns, drums, or much else further from a simple guitar and keys. It is a powerhouse on its own, which is remarkable when you take into consideration how instrumentally gifted Creature and their contributors are.
Track #8 - Night Light
It wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t review the album’s title track. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: title tracks are always of utmost importance to me. In my opinion, they should be the most panoptic piece of music on an album or EP and Night Light certainly hits that ideology straight-on.
Holding a idiosyncratic type of lightness, Night Light is a gratifying song that outlines a scene of great comfort and unity. I found myself picturing a homey log cabin in Northern Michigan as I listened through this piece: the smell of cedar, the embers of a fireplace, the snugness of belonging, it all fits perfectly within this scenario due to its intimate ambience. Bernard accompanies Schaub in vocals this time around but she still remains to be the driving force as the lyrics, again hospitable and blazing, carry through a process that could be reflective of life, death, and even rebirth.
“I see a light in everything” appears to be the main mantra of this song and I think that’s a beautiful message within itself; a reminder to see the light and good in things, or at least to focus on them more than the darkness.
In regard to Night Light, Creature recently performed a handful of shows to celebrate the new record in cities such as Muskegon, Toledo, and Trufant but aside from that, the duo’s future remains a mystery in regard to further projects or show dates. I, for one, would love to see them play in Grand Rapids this summer (Listening Lawn, anyone?) for a welcoming night of rejoice but we will just have to see. For now, you can stream Night Light any and everywhere and you can support Creature through their Bandcamp linked below.