Apologies, we have been extremely quiet here recently. We hope to be back up and running in the near future but in our absence I’ve found myself returning to one album which I will leave you with now.
When I heard about the second release from Evening Hymns, I had high expectations. Since seeing them live (in a small room that could not have contained more than 30 people) and hearing Jonas Bonnetta’s honest and cynicism-free explanations of the songs, my expectations were surpassed. A beautiful spectacle (both lyrically and sonically), the record is something special, a swirling amalgam of highly personal grief and fond memories past that form an intricate mosaic of the relationship between family members. Desperation, sadness, panic, anger, a bitter despondency… all the emotions of bereavement are visited yet a triumphant sense of continuation is found.
I should go into the album in more detail and give it the write up it deserves but will leave it as this. Spectral Dusk has emerged as my favourite album of the year over the last few weeks and I very much doubt it will relinquish this position before the year is out. Not since Hospice has a collection of songs fitted together so well to synthesize such a vivid and affecting narrative.
Buy Spectral Dusk from Bandcamp or from their own shop. As a bonus, the duo have released a session to download. Grab it here to hear what you are missing.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/26274199″]
Until next time…