“143” by Noah Libby – An Album Release

 

     A persuasive argument can be made for each song on the album "143" being the best among the seven. The shared traits among the songs include the acoustic approach taken throughout the album, the emphasis on acoustic guitar and mandolin, and the intimacy of the lyrical subject matter. As with any album reflecting the heartfelt perspectives of the writer, different songs will resonant differently among listeners and will even vary for an individual listener depending upon changing circumstances in the life of that listener. Ultimately, the strength of the album from Noah Libby lies in its ability to connect with listeners, so any preference of one song over the others is personal.
 
     At least today, our favorite songs on the album are those that include backing vocals from Noah’s wife Joanna. In the title track, her voice harmonizes elegantly with Noah’s. It is clear from the lyrics that “143” represents the letter counts for the three words “I love you.” The text code is at the heart of the song.
 
      Still, our favorite is “Valley Low.” During the verses, the backing vocals join with the lead vocals to finish thoughts. But the vocal magic occurs during the chorus, when Joanna’s voice is an echo to Noah’s. The first occasion of the chorus begins at the 51 second mark. Nearly as appealing is the mandolin hook that is first heard in the short intro and then separates each instance of the chorus from its neighboring verses. The sequence of mandolin notes carries a feel of reaching a peak, taking a brief pause, and then descending.
 
      When talking about his solo album, Noah Libby said:
  “I wrote these songs between the births of our two children.  I think deep down I knew the quartet (Blisses B) I played in would be slowing down if not ending. This album stood as a framework for a log cabin, just enough to be weatherproof and could be worked on.  It was always going to be just acoustic guitar, mandolin and keyboards.  My partner Joanna brought in some great ideas on background vocals too.  It is a bridge for me, removing the cloak of having a full band behind me to strip down to boxer shorts and be okay with that. We tracked and mixed this album in Oakland, CA and I stand to send it into the world now living in Long Beach, CA. These two cities have a lot in common and I think the themes of uncertainty, parenthood, the loss of self, and well…. Love… are at its core (1-4-3 = I-Love-You).”
 
      “143” was recorded at Owl Sight Recorders in Oakland, CA. Alex Laipenieks engineered and mixed the album to analog 1’’ tape. [Noah’s thoughts on the late Alex Laipenieks are included at the bottom of this post.]  Tyler Jensen also mixed some of the songs. The album was mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering in Chicago, IL  
 
     “Valley Low” by Noah Libby

     Reflecting upon Alex Laipenieks, Noah said:
  “We lost Alex Laipenieks two years ago this January, a life taken far too soon.  Posthumously this will be one of two albums he engineered and mixed from Blisses B alumni.  On some level it makes me think of a ray of sunshine refracting through a kitchen window.  A reminder of a friendship forged in the studio.  Creating recorded music can do just that, create friends… you are together for hours on end in a vulnerable state, and in this case, it was just the two of us most days.  Alex could be hard to work with at times, especially in tracking as he felt attacked if opinions were announced or we had to punch a track in to fix something.  But ultimately, I think he softened over time with both of us recognizing this would be a sonic tribute to him and also a time capsule that would start pre-pandemic and now years later find the other side of the tunnel.  He was a super talent with 1’’ tape machines and also mixing in analog and I think that will shine through, it kind of has to.”