Lot's of snacks there

 

Im not familiar with all of them though, but Im working on it.

 

I especially recommend Ensemble Havadia (check my review for it) and Mamma Non Piangere for everyone interested in RIO related music!

 

 

 

 

 I know exactly what you mean... I have my own catching up to do...

 

 

 

EXCELLENT.

The album begins (Sneffels Yokul), like their debut, with harmonic a capella, then breaking off into an amusing rhythm (amusing rhythms can be found all throughout the album, some really great percussion here) accompanied with an organic, colorful bass melody. It keeps at a nice pace and then suddenly pulls out the butcher's knife to show off the band's more aggressive tendencies. As quickly and as chillingly as the crescendo arrived, it disappears into the former world-music-esque visage... and then that disappears as well and introduces a solo piano (not solo-ING, just alone) playing one of the many hair-raising bittersweet melodies from this extraordinarily SYMBOLIC album (pun intended--as the album title is really only two symbols).

From there, All One or None continues with haunting piano and a mixture of falsetto and baritone singing. The song is divided mostly in two sections, the first that I already mentioned, and then changing again adding melodic percussion along with the final words that really got to me: "All my friends are here--they shouldn't move away," providing some daunting, dramatic irony. This is a slower, shorter ditty with a lasting impression on the album, especially with it's placement right after the upbeat and angry Snuffels Yokul.

Peaceful Paths begins thereafter with more of that disturbing lonely piano and tears open into an overwhelming, BIG-sounding chamber arrangement. After flirting with some pop-influence of repeating, "Peaceful paths don't lead astray," it returns to chamber slowly building up and down through a whooshes of rapid drumming and beautiful violin. Then as the chamber-music character walks, he falls into a cleverly-built trap!--a nightmarish and dissonant climax, falling back to a soft death including what I think is an accordion to end the violent and deadly rollercoaster.

The penultimate song on the album is the epic and wandering How's 'Bout a Love Supreme, which introduces itself calmly with piano and vocals. Within the next minute, the song evaporates in an ambient solution of animal noises, drones, echoes, and percussion, seemingly never to take its former state again. But it does for a short while. After this short lapse of harmony, jarring dissonance erupts out of the song's previous calm confines and soon resembles the soundtrack of some insane movie. Somewhat of a distraught and depressing happiness (similar to the crescendos of Peaceful Paths and Bradford Big Boatride). Woodsong Part Two comes afterward, following suit to Woodsong Part One's quirky, classical method. Trumpet succeeds and the album closes. Somewhat. Not really. You'll see.

Anyways, like I said, this is an amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing album. It's a beautiful patchwork of different sounds and textures. More energy than their debut, and many gentle and soft points in the album that give me goosebumps. You'll find tons of amazing orchestration including an array of many, many instruments. Highly recommended.

What do I know? What do I know?

Nothing. Nothing.

P.S. Buy this album when it comes out April 8th, this year!

 

Tomorrow, I'll be scavengering around the thread for music I've missed since I was gone. 

 

P.S. Did you hear that Time of Orchids broke up?  Sad.

 

 

Their third album,

 

1994
Jouer, Spielen, To Play
not rated

 

featuring Charles Hayward and Chris Cutler. It's their most RIO-oriented album I think, while their two first was more in the avant-garde electronic style but still quite decent.

 

 

 

 

Gothic / Old Americana type music.  Reminds me of a more upbeat Beat Circus.  Should be pretty great.

 

 

EDIT: Wrong Object sounds fantastic.