The Rock Blogger

Natural Snow Buildings. Shadow Kingdom . 2009.

Another masterpiece (if not their finest achievement to date) from this prolific avant/drone duo. Delicate, ethereal folk songs are interwoven with wispy psychedelia, eastern-tinged guitars and mysterious, ambient noises. A soundtrack for levitation. Shadow Kingdom is an incredibly exhausting and expansive album (over 2 hours) that is full of awe-inspiring moments. It may take dozens of dedicated listens to unearth all of its riches.

Oceanus Procellarum. Amidst Nature . 2009.

Low, rumbling drones and minimal acoustic accents run through this deep and challenging album. Subtle transitions lumber in the caverns of these five evocative pieces, sounding like lost requiems, left to rot in the woods.

Starbird. Nanook of the North. 2007.

A very unique piece of drone/ambient/free-folk music inspired by the famous Canadian documentary about the Inuit in Quebec. Strange percussive instrumentation, chimes and woodwinds grant this album an authentic, indigenous atmosphere. The sonic landscapes may be sparse, cold and foreboding, but Starbird’s eclecticism also makes them strangely inviting, finding a primordial connection with the open North.

Isengrind / TwinSisterMoon / Natural Snow Buildings. The Snowbringer Cult . 2008. 4.5 stars .

This two-disc album comprises three projects of Mehdi Ameziane and Solange Gularte, the French drone/folk artists that brought us Natural Snow Buildings. These incredibly lengthy movements share the same hazy, free-form structure as their main project, with some tribal percussion and drawn-out woodwind passages rounding out the Isengrind tracks. Wordless vocals move ethereally over the sparse instrumentation, as if caught in a deep, psychedelic trance. The entire affair sounds like a sample from some shamanic ritual, with each coo, chant and chorus exalting the slow, meticulous consumption of Psilocybin.

The TwinSisterMoon pieces follow the same ritualistic path, with a greater focus on sustaining a fluid, relaxing drone, as each layer of instrumentation bleeds in together. The vocals become more gentle and soothing, reminiscent of Vashti Bunyan’s sleepy style. The music moves like a dream, transient and indefinite, as the dense wall of sound oscillates into pure ambiance.

The two projects then converge into Natural Snow Buildings, the album’s concluding side. The drones here are flatter and more stretched out, sprawled out like some distant alien landscape. The atmosphere here is harsh, icy and strange, with haunting pulses of noise looming somewhere on the horizon. Percussion rears its head again towards the end, evoking the tribal circles of the north, extended tributes to the Aurora Borealis.

While the sounds on this collection can be bizarre and unsettling, they also carry a deep-seated wonder, an appeal to the frozen abyss. It’s daunting length, experimentation and meditative effects make this a challenging, and certainly rewarding work. While NSB’s Daughter of Darkness overshadows this effort in terms of scope and consistency, this three-way split is still notable for its eclecticism and Inuit lore. A gem for wanderers.

Ben Chasny’s Six Organs of Admittance is one my favorite projects at the moment. Given my hectic schedule as of late, deep, meditative music like this is vital. These videos bring out the texture in this music and have a Stan Brakhage quality to them. The newest SOA album Luminous Night marks a departure from drone/noise influenced psychedelia to more straightforward folk. I suggest you check it out.

An intimate live performance of one Pygmy Lush’s most soothing tracks. If you’ve never heard of this excellent group, their sound is a meditative blend of drone, folk and lo-fi rock. Be sure to track down their latest LP “Mount Hope”.

Drudkh. Songs of Grief and Solitude. 2006. 4 stars.

This 35 minute album marked a departure from this Ukrainian band’s atmospheric black metal aesthetic, consisting of acoustic folk instrumentals with historical overtones. The result is a stark, sober album that conveys struggle and resolution against a harsh, rural landscape. It has a very organic feel, attributed largely to its thin production that lays everything bare. This approach gives the work a unique feel quite different from the metal barrage of Drudkh’s heavier albums.

Like the work of Finland’s Nest, the use of traditional instruments has an immediate affinity to the fables, surroundings and culture of the past. While Drudkh’s black metal efforts also possess this conservative spirit, Songs of Grief and Solitude brings it to the forefront of the listening experience in the most surprising and uncompromising way. While some fans my decry this cultural experiment, its excursions are refreshing and highlight the intellectual vigor that had set Drudkh apart from the pack from the very beginning.

“Tears of Gods”

The Tallest Man on Earth - “Where Do My Bluebirds Fly” Live by the Sydney harbor, Australia

Hala Strana. Fielding. 2003. 5 stars.

Music for a lucid dream. This is a downright remarkable and pleasantly psychedelic folk album from California’s Hala Strana. Fielding encompasses gentle acoustic harmonies, evocative field recordings and touches of traditional Eastern European instrumentals in its stunning musical journey. This album is both mysterious and deeply comforting, as its relaxed rhythms and experimental use of samples creates a warm and intimate atmosphere to get lost in. The subtlety and diversity of the compositions within this two disc set keeps it engaging over many repeated listens, as new details reveal themselves each time. The musique concrète approach makes each song a colorful and intricate collage begging for exploration.

While these pieces cover a lot of sonic and cultural territory, its hardly daunting. It has a dreamy evening vibe to it, making the perfect accompanying soundtrack for laid back tripping. There are a few strange and disquieting moments here, given the eclectic use of found sounds (think Set Fire to Flames meets Six Organs of Admittance) but they add some twists to the winding trail of the entire album.

Fielding stands as one of the most satisfying psychedelic albums I’ve come across. Its sound is undeniably unique and not only showcases stellar musicianship but also introduces the listener to variety of obscure sounds and traditions. As an opiate induced travelogue, Fielding is truly a work of art that belongs in your avant-garde collection.

Vali. Forlatt. 2004. 5 stars.

Forlatt, from Norway’s Vali, is probably the most serene and effective neofolk albums I’ve ever heard. It just happens to be so tragically underwritten. Who is this virtuoso, with their impeccable sense of melody, intricate acoustic guitar work and neoclassical aspiration? I really have no idea. All I know is that this album is a gem worth digging for as it rivals the very best works from the genre, including Ulver’s revered Kvldssanger and the best Empyrium albums.

So what makes this masterpiece such a standout? Maybe its own reluctance to being a masterpiece is key, as its soothing compositions move with calm patience, letting each arpeggio descend and cello ache  organically. Nothing about this album can be called pretentious, overwrought or overwhelming, its performances hold a power that is emotionally resonant and deeply comforting. Its has peace and beauty to it and seems to convey scenes of natural solitude or of a love so sound that it isolates, conceals and protects itself from the harshness of the world.

Even if you are familiar with other bands in the neofolk genre, like Tenhi, Empyrium, October Falls, etc., this is still worth the effort to uncover. Whereas its contemporaries are often dark, unsettling and mournful, Vali is uplifting and heartrendingly beautiful. I hope we haven’t heard the last from this mysterious musician.

Photo by Damien Van Vroenhoven 2008

Mark Kozelek. Little Drummer Boy Live . 2006. 4.5 stars .

Yes, I do realize I’ve reviewed two Sun Kil Moon albums on my blog already, but since Mark Kozelek’s blend of folk and slowcore styles is so exquisite and moving, I feel he deserves all the praise he can get, so the mentions continue. What drew me to this double disc set is the inclusion of not only songs from Kozelek’s Sun Kil Moon period (also featuring early incarnations of pieces from 2008’s April ), but also the acoustic renditions of some Red House Painters material had that sparked his songwriting career.

Among the highlights is the haunting "Katy Song" and the slow burning "Cruiser" which find their way into his sets (compiled from shows across North America and Finland), with heart-wrenching vigor. In performances such as these, it feels as if Mark Kozelek is not just pouring his heart out to the crowd, but to every piercing moment that has touched his life. Love and distance, fading faces, cascading light and oceanic mystery are part of his aesthetic language, all spoken with a distinctive, reverberating voice that rings with unflinching emotional clarity.

As a compilation, Little Drummer Boy Live is a stunning illustration of Kozelek’s detailed, poetic lyricism, his quiet but honest guitar playing and the unshakable sadness of his vocals. There are some notable surprises as well, including a cover of Neil Young’s "Rock ‘n’ Roll Singer" and the surprisingly powerful version of "Little Drummer Boy", the classic Christmas song. The collection is not without its faults though, as many of these songs do sound barren, desolate and overlong without any backing instrumentation. The album’s incredible length, in addition to the melancholic air that hangs over it all, is simply intimidating. If you are new to Kozelek’s music, I would recommend picking up this year’s April , which features a full band to flesh out the songs. If you are a seasoned fan however, then Little Drummer is essential and captivating. Even with just a slight introduction to the source material, as I received this summer, the work of Mark Kozelek leaves a lasting impression, and these performances reinforces it all the more.

Mark Kozelek - Cruiser [live]

Odawas. Raven and the White Night. 2007. 3.5 stars.

Odawas play wispy psychedelic folk songs that are tinged with subtle symphonic and harmonic elements. While their sound fits nicely along the dreamy shoegaze of bands like Grouper, Odawas’ take is slightly more complex, and also more confounding. They certainly don’t seem to like sticking in one place for too long, as their ethereal acoustic moments can take flight into bluesy jam-rock solos (”Getting to Another Plane”), often sounding like a bizarre cross between Neil Young’s Crazy Horse and the haunting melancholy of Jeff Buckley. When they do decide to settle down on a singular vision, they have incredible emotional clarity, like on the heartbreaking “Alleluia’ where gentle whistles and mournful vocals take on a hypnotic effect.

There are odd left tuns taken as well, like the bombastic orchestral intro of “The Maddening of Raven” or the speech giving samples on “Love Is… (The Only Weapon With Which I Got to Fight)”, accomapnied by electric instrumentation. These tracks point towards some overarching narrative or theme for the album, but they don’t seem to blend with the more cryptic and fluid sounds of their pared-down acoustic counterparts. Once again, the band’s often unnerving sense of dread and tension is better expressed in the quiet, rustic corners of their songs, where their humble tones lead to humbling passages.

Fortunately, the band’s shining moments outnumber the confusing ones, and they frequently take on the astral quality that shapes and defines the modern psych-folk movement. So if you are looking for something heady, trippy and pastoral, Odawas will be sure to satisfy. Once you get past the stranger fixtures of this record, the eclectic musicianship and experimental edge will lift you up. How high you go may depend on the environment in which you take this in.

Odawas “Alleluia” - set to Reuters’ best photos of 2007