English majors rejoice — the poetry of Theodore Roethke has finally been paired with an accordion, thanks to Beirut (/The Arcade Fire/a thousand other bands) spin-off Team B. 
The Lost Son EP, featuring lyrics exclusively from Roethke’s poetry (see “The Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke” for full poems), is available for free on Team B’s Web site and Myspace for now, but front-man Kelly Pratt (Beirut, Arcade Fire) says he plans to release the album on vinyl only later this year.
According to Team B’s Myspace, the lyrics as-sung don’t adhere strictly to Roethke’s poems; Pratt often sang “an abbreviation of the full poem. . .not strictly adhering to the original (though always very close).” Despite these minor deviations, I promise this EP will take you straight back to your intro-level English classes and your feeble first attempts at applying deconstructionalist theory to “My Papa’s Waltz.” Um, but if you were like me (and you were an awful English major who hated analyzing poetry — seriously. I can’t be the only one), you’ll be relieved to know that adding tubas, Pratt’s gentle voice and the occasional chirping bird in the background takes some of the edge off Roethke. After a few tracks, I was able to stop having painful flashbacks to lecture halls and enjoy the instrumentals AND the poetry.
I’ll admit that it took me a few listens through The Lost Son to shake my Beirut-expectancies and hear this band for a new project. However, now I can’t figure out how I managed to hear only Beirut the first times listening. Team B perfectly matches Roethke’s words with a German-inspired sound that reflects his heritage. This European influence also delivers the touch of melancholy that is all-but-required when Roethke’s writing comes into play, adding another level for the written-word lover to soak in, analyze and appreciate.
Grab this album for free while you can, and consider making “a friendly donation” to Team B for their efforts, by heading over to their Myspace or Web site.
*A disclosure to non-English majors: This album is good even if you have no idea who Roethke is. Really.
Track List:
1. Intro – The Lost Son
2. The Visitant
3. The Reckoning
4. My Papa’s Waltz
5. Genesis/Reply To Censure
6. Toil
7. The Lost Son
8. Gob Music
9. Praise To The End!
Written by Caitlin Dean.
