"Every Color of the Sun" Album Review

There is beauty in transformation. As an entity evolves into a form that differs from its previous state of perception, that entity reflects a new stage of life while offering those who perceive it a new perspective on the past. This phenomenon is captured perfectly in Logan Pilcher’s live album, Every Color of the Sun, which consists of new yet sentimental takes on select pieces from Pilcher’s discography.

A good portion of Pilcher’s early releases are from the perspective of a hopeless romantic, with the established tone centering around soft acoustics and bedroom-pop ambience. As Pilcher’s lyrical subjects shifted away from longing to life after finding his partner, Pilcher’s overall sound took on a new profile, one that seemed to meld indie pop, folk, and a bit of country. While Pilcher’s discography offers a spectrum of focuses and genres, Pilcher and his friends took the ranging source material and created a cohesive set list that both offered the audience a smooth listening experience and enhanced the songs’ poignancy through the artists’ heartfelt performances. 

Songs like Maybe It’ll Be This Summer, Sweatervest, and I Just Don’t, which previously sported instrumentation resembling that of Phoebe Bridgers and Flipturn, now lean into Pilcher’s developing indie-americana blend, which gives the somber songs a newfound lightheartedness. In a way, the joy Pilcher put into the aforementioned songs acknowledges that although those stages of life were painful and confusing, they were necessary, as he wouldn’t be where he is now without them. The songs of his that already conveyed a bright outlook on life and love don’t lose their evocative nature to the set’s curated sound, though; in my opinion, songs like Bloody and Blue and Dangerous Beautiful Thing are amplified by an encompassing air of pure contentment.  

The videos that accompany Pilcher’s album embody the songs’ warm tonality, both literally in color grading and conceptually in visual composition. Each shot is arranged perfectly: the subject is often either centered or set following the rule of thirds, with the focus slightly blurring the performer’s surroundings. Videographer Zach Brown’s portrait-esque approach towards Every Color’s visuals makes each documentation feel as if it were pulled from a Wes Anderson movie. 

While you can sometimes catch glimpses of the audience, what you see of their faces is nothing short of undivided attention. The crowd (including myself and friends) is pictured sitting still and focused with occasional swaying or rhythmic finger tapping. There wasn’t a phone out or rowdy conversation clashing against the performance; the audience was collectively engaged in the listening experience. Any commotion made was in response to Pilcher and the band talking to the audience, which you can also catch moments of throughout the album.

Every Color of the Sun explores the brilliance of creative evolution and reflection simultaneously through Pilcher and his friends’ grounded, lively take on Pilcher’s diverse discography. Not only does the album capture a beautifully-executed concert, it points towards the tonal shift Pilcher is currently exploring in both his live music and future recording projects. Every Color demonstrates the stunning liminality of past and present enacted when one cherishes memories through a lens of gratitude.

You can listen to Every Color of the Sun anywhere you stream music, and watch the music videos through Pilcher's YouTube channel . Be sure to keep an eye out for new music by Pilcher by following his Instagram, @logan_pilcher .