Petunia [LP]

For Andy and Edwin White, the brothers behind Orlandos Tonstartssbandht, a song is a living, breathing thing. Through constant touring, the Whites songs both take shape and change shape, becoming something a little different every night as they explore the possibilities inherent within them. With time, attention, and intention, these songslong, languid, full of open musical questions and temporary answersbecome distinct objects, and the process begins again. On Petunia, Tonstartssbandhts 18th album and second for Mexican Summer, they bring us to the earliest moments of this process, showing off a barn full of hatchlings already decked with splendid plumage. Using little more than a 12-string guitar and a drum kit, Andy and Edwin weave together the gentle headiness of Laurel Canyon and the sweaty pacing of Cologne; like a gyroscope, its constant motion produces the illusion of stillnessand that stillness gives it a sense of intimacy and introspection, something thats further illuminated by the new emphasis placed on the brothers vocals. It allows the quiet wisdom of the lyricswhat Andy self-deprecatingly calls generic broad platitudes that I still think resonate when I say themto slip in almost unnoticed, delivering their emotional truths while preparing a feather bed for you to collapse into. All roads will lead to the heart of town, when youve been running too long, he sings in the albums opening moments. Being at peace only slows you down, but youve been running so long now. If Petunia feels like a journey in the direction of peace, that, too, is a reflection of how it was madethe entire thing was written and recorded in Orlando in 2020, rather than pieced together in spurts over the years. This is an album built on level ground that shows what can happen when the artistic environment is stable, even while the worlds environment is anything but. Petunia is not Tonstartssbandhts definitive statement on these songs, because how could it be? But it is a portrait of Andy and Edwin White at home in Florida, an artfully staged landscape rich in detail, its winding passages and airy environment waiting to be explored.