Range of Light

Range of Light is the second full-length studio album by S. Carey, the moniker of multi-instrumentalist Sean Carey, best known as a key collaborator in Bon Iver. Released in 2014 on Jagjaguwar, the album represents a significant refinement of the sound established on his debut, All We Grow. While his debut was rooted in the woods of Wisconsin, Range of Light draws its primary inspiration from the Sierra Nevada mountains. The album is characterized by its sophisticated use of percussion and woodwinds, moving Carey further away from 'indie folk' tropes and toward a unique intersection of chamber pop and minimalism. Critical reception was generally very positive, with reviewers noting Carey's ability to translate the awe of the natural world into complex, layered arrangements. The album solidified his reputation as a composer who uses the folk idiom as a vessel for modern classical sensibilities, specifically through his use of polyrhythms and unconventional song structures.