Customer Reviews

Soul of the Rainbow & the Harmony

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Long attention span. This is drone. There are lapses into field recording, there is a sense of earnestness that pervades this release, an immediacy that welcomes you into the long, long washes of sound. If you wish that Stars of the Lid would hurry up, or that Black Dice would slow down, you'll really, really like this record a lot.

Another ambient/drone gem from the Kranky label.

The shimmering radiance of the introduction to 'Onement' slowly turns to Stars of the Lid-like drones and later into cymbal(ish) white-noise. This ends abruptly before a brief silence morphs also abruptly into:

...the almost industrial guitar wall-of-sound of 'Anaheim II' - Jesus and Mary Chain-style distortion tripping on acid, punctuated by a subtle bass beat. Another abrupt ending heralds:

'Epochal Reminiscence' - intro'd by droning gutars like some demented bagpipe band, before anthemic chords interrupt, only to seque into more drones that eventually plunge into ever-descending fuzzy chord progressions, lit by a radiantly pulsing organ-like accompaniment. Mesmerising in its minimalist insistence and its seeming disinterest in maintaining a stable tonal centre; we catch our breath and then:

...birdsong precedes, and latterly punctuates, a bassy thrum with slowly shimmering highlights as 'Primitive Associations/Great Mass Above' begins to round out an album full to the brim with purposeful development and intelligent, engaging variation. An insightful closing track that engenders that "I must remember to play this again soon" feeling - compelling and evocative, a musical endorphin to bring pleasure to all but the brain-dead!

Overall this album is a musical journey that repays repeated and enraptured listening. It will likely appeal to Stars of the Lid Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid , Windy and Carl Consciousness, Loscil Plume, Pan American Quiet City, or Labradford Mi Media Naranja fans , or anyone interested in ambient/drone soundscapes. A good starting point for 'Growing' virgins, but all of their albums deserve a place in any decent electronica collection.

Growing consists of Kevin Doria on bass and guitar and Joe Denardo on guitar. Hailing from New York City, this instrumental band comes at you with shimmering sounds, ambient soundscapes, and crushing fuzz. The Soul of the Rainbow and the Harmony of Light is Growing's second release on the kranky label and they certainly prove that they have the ability to create a powerful ambience.

"Onement" begins with shimmery, spacey guitars that create a feel of void. It's as if Growing was putting out their first sonic paintbrush for all to hear and create in the listener a sense of anticipation for the next sonic stroke. Slowly, patiently, Growing begins to add hums and texture to the mix. This hum eventually overpowers the spacey sounds and the duo lay out another brush for all to relish in. This hum is textured and varied in places, making the sound more organic rather than like a loop. About have way through the piece, it begins to sound like ocean waves and perhaps a little like keyboards playing amongst them. The hum returns and a shimmering kind of fuzz visits the ears. Eventually, all the sonic brushes come together to create a beautiful soundscape that is quite moving. As the song comes to a close, the fuzziness of the tune becomes overwhelming and then silence. "Anaheim II" begins with huge, fuzzed out guitars. This entrance flows perfectly out of the crescendo of "Onement." There are spacey keys that mingle with the stereophonic fuzz. This is definitely an experiment in unending noise loops. This is a continual seven-minute track of very unusual fuzz.

"Epochal Reminiscence" begins with the growing guitar sound that hums warmly through the speakers. This hum is peaceful and glowing. It's amazing how the duo is able to sustain sounds with their guitars. It's a demonstration of patience and control. There are guitar notes that dance amid the hum. This track also has the patient, controlled feel of the track before, but in a more calming sort of way rather than in the fuzzed out grating way. About 15 minutes into the track, the hum becomes warmer and quieter. "Primitive Associations/Great Mass Above" begins with birds chirping in the background. This sets a soothing, early morning sort of feel. Then, a hum and bright shimmer comes into the mix amid the birds. This sort of track is perfect for relaxation and contemplation. Eventually, storm clouds roll in and thunder and rain come into the mix. The thunder and rain roll in amidst moody, floating keys and shimmering noises. This is twelve minutes of beautiful ambient noise and samples of natural elements. I think this is my favorite track on the disc.

Growing is a duo of experts in careful, patient ambient soundscapes. From obstinate fuzz to glimmering, peaceful moments, The Soul of the Rainbow and the Harmony of Light has all the right range for a beautiful, ambient journey.

I think it's safe to say you'll either really like "Soul of the Rainbow and Harmony" or strongly dislike it. This album pushes music out towards one of its minimalist boundaries -- there's no traditional melody, and it's quite stark in its simplicity. I usually like ambient music that's a bit more melodic, but there are times when this is exactly what I want to listen to.

Other reviewers compare Growing's sound here to Stars of the Lid's style, and I can see why. If you like Stars of the Lid, you'll probably enjoy this too. "Soul of the Rainbow and Harmony" sounds lighter to me, though, especially the final track, "Primitive Associations/Great Mass Above." This is my favorite track, because it incorporates field recordings of birdsong into the drones. The effect is beautiful and hard to describe -- if music could shimmer, this would. This song reminds me of some of Helios' work.

In sum, worth a listen by anyone interested in ambient music.