Customer Reviews

Blasts of Holy Birth

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I do. I randomly stumbled across it earlier this year when some kind soul at the local indie radio station played a track. I was instantly hooked, as I knew immediately that THIS was what I was looking for. And what I was looking for was an intelligent, dreamy, and musically dense folk album. Something light, yet heavy. I use the term folk loosely because honestly, I don't even know WHAT to classify this is, other than simply awesome. Not that it matters; everyone knows labels are for suckers.

Lewis and Clarke meld together guitar, harp, keyboard, horns, strings, and drums all in a careful, delicate balance that isn't afraid to space things out and let the songs organically evolve. The whole thing is good, but my favorite track on the album is the sixth: 'Crimson Carpets.' As it courses along at its own unhurried pace, to me the song is exemplary of how this album just comes out and says "I am what I am... take it or leave it." The songs weave and meander, but never loose their course, and on repeated listens, you can see how the entire work begins to tie itself together.

Blasts of Holy Birth is not an easy album. Both musically and lyrically, it challenges the listener, but on the flipside, there so much here! So many layers to peel back and discover. I find it interesting because a lot of the music I listen to is complex metal, yet I can a draw a straight line parallel between "Blasts of Holy Birth" and that music, because they share the lack of standard song structure, and that combination of honesty, realness, and emotion that is so hard to find in music. This isn't music made to sell records, this is music made for the love of music. Everything about this album, from the gorgeous cover art, to the liner notes and art, to the music and lyrics themselves, comes across as carefully crafted. A lot of heart and soul went into this thing, and you can tell. It won't sell a million copies, but that's ok. It can just be a little secret between us.

"But you don't have to take my word for it," as LeVar used to tell me. You can easily preview this entire album in high quality format on Lewis and Clarke's record label website: La Société Expéditionnaire. I strongly suggest you do.