Big Echo

Big Echo
Name	Big Echo
Type	studio
Artist	Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Released	2013
Recorded	Portland, Oregon; Auckland
Genre	Indie rock; psychedelic pop; lo-fi
Length	41:12
Label	Jagjaguwar
Producer	Ruban Nielson

Big Echo

Big Echo is the second studio album by the indie rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra. It followed their self-titled debut and showcased a shift toward more polished production and orchestral textures, marking a notable moment in the discography of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and in the wider 2010s indie scene alongside contemporaries such as Tame Impala, Grizzly Bear, The Flaming Lips, and Radiohead. The record's blend of chamber-pop arrangements, psychedelic songwriting, and studio experimentation drew attention from outlets including Pitchfork, NME, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone.

Background and origin

The album emerged after touring and recording cycles that involved members associated with Portland, Oregon and Auckland. Lead songwriter and producer Ruban Nielson, who had familial and artistic ties to New Zealand music networks and the Jacobites-adjacent indie community, conceived the project amid collaborations with musicians connected to The Mint Chicks and recordings in studios influenced by the DIY ethos of Sub Pop-era practitioners. Influences cited in interviews included work by Brian Wilson, Pharoah Sanders, Ennio Morricone, and arrangements reminiscent of sessions at Abbey Road Studios and the orchestral palette found on albums by Sufjan Stevens and Van Dyke Parks. The period also overlapped with festivals and tours alongside bands such as Fleet Foxes, Alt-J, and Bon Iver, which shaped the aesthetic and logistical choices for the record.

Composition and production

Composition combined Nielson's lo-fi songwriting with expanded instrumentation: strings, brass, woodwinds, and vintage keyboards. Sessions brought in players and arrangers affiliated with ensembles like the Metropolitan Orchestra-style session groups and contributors linked to The National's touring cohorts. The production employed analog gear, tape machines, and software used by studios in Brooklyn and Melbourne, aiming for a warm, reverberant sound reminiscent of records produced by Daniel Lanois and Steve Albini-era captures. Arrangements referenced chamber textures from Scott Walker and modal improvisation echoing John Coltrane while retaining pop song forms comparable to Paul McCartney-era balladry. Guest musicians included vocalists and horn players from scenes around Dunedin, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Mixing credits involved engineers who had worked with acts such as Beach House, Deerhunter, and Animal Collective, emphasizing spatial effects and orchestral layering.

Release and promotion

Released on the indie label Jagjaguwar, the album's rollout used a combination of streaming premieres, vinyl pressings, and targeted festival appearances. Promotional singles were serviced to stations like BBC Radio 6 Music and outlets such as KEXP, supported by video premieres on platforms run by NME and Pitchfork. The band toured extensively in support, playing venues associated with the Coachella circuit, the Glastonbury Festival stage, and marquee rooms in New York City, London, and Auckland Town Hall. Merchandise collaborations and limited-edition releases were coordinated with independent record stores in Portland and Melbourne and specialty distributors working with labels such as 4AD and Sub Pop. Interviews and features appeared in magazines including The Fader, Spin, and Mojo.

Reception and critical analysis

Critical response combined praise for the album's ambitious arrangements with commentary on its stylistic departure from earlier lo-fi textures. Reviews in Pitchfork and The Guardian highlighted the compositional maturation and orchestral choices, while NME and Rolling Stone offered more mixed takes on coherence versus experimentation. Music critics compared the record's cinematic scope to works by Radiohead and The Flaming Lips and noted production parallels with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Academic and fan discourse referenced the album in analyses alongside records by Sufjan Stevens and Tame Impala, focusing on themes of nostalgia, sonic space, and auteurism in indie production. Year-end lists from publications such as Pitchfork and NME included the album in curated roundups for its adventurous arrangements and songwriting.

Commercial performance

Commercially, the album performed solidly for an independent release: it charted on national lists in countries connected to the band's markets, appearing on the New Zealand Albums Chart and making entries on specialty charts in Australia and the United Kingdom. Sales were driven by vinyl collectors, streaming audiences on platforms influenced by editorial playlists, and festival exposure. The record's singles received airplay on campus and independent radio stations, including KEXP and BBC Radio 6 Music, contributing to catalog sales and long-tail streaming performance on services associated with Spotify and Apple Music. Distribution partnerships with indie distributors tied to labels like Jagjaguwar and Domino Recording Company helped placement in independent record stores and digital marketplaces.

Legacy and influence

Over time, the album has been cited as an example of indie bands expanding their sonic palettes toward orchestral and cinematic territory. Musicians and producers from scenes in Portland, Auckland, Melbourne, and Seattle referenced its textures in subsequent releases, influencing arrangements on records by artists connected to Sub Pop and Jagjaguwar rosters. Music journalists and historians placed it in discussions of 2010s shifts toward baroque and chamber-pop influences within indie music, alongside works by Sufjan Stevens, Grizzly Bear, and The National. Its impact is visible in later collaborative projects and in orchestral experimentation by contemporary acts touring festival circuits including Coachella and Glastonbury.

Category:2013 albums Category:Unknown Mortal Orchestra albums