World music can take us on imaginative journeys to faraway and
long ago lands. One could visit the former Soviet republic of Georgia, but one can only get a
taste of its pre-Soviet past by listening to the Zedashe Ensemble. Their latest release Intangible Pearls (Cowbell Records) is of the variety
often called "folkloristic," which means it's a scholarly
interpretation of ancient cultural traditions from those who no longer live
that way. But don't think buttoned-down academia. Quite the opposite; the
Zedashe Ensemble channel bygone village life, right down to their costumes and
three-part harmonies rendered in melodic scales seldom used in modern times.
Even the name is old; zedashe
references an earthenware jug in which wine was aged. Most of the singing is
done a capella, but when instruments are used, they too come from the past: the
pandari, a type of lute; the chonguri, a flute more strident than
melodic; and the ch'ibini, one of
numerous goatskin-covered hand-held drums used by the ensemble. The vocals are what
one might get by crossing Tuvan throat singing's over and undertones with the
unbridled primeval feel of Balkan music. The album is old in another way—it's
paternalistic in the sense that just four of its 25 tracks feature female
leads. The gender breakdown is heard stylistically. Male songs such as
"Alilo Sashabao" or "Elena" feature lead voices in unison,
with background singers providing a chant-like accompaniment of contrasting
tone and drone. At times it sounds like Gregorian chant adapted for the
mountains. Women's vocals—"Lale" is a good example—tend toward
call-and-response style. Check out the instrumental dance tunes as well;
instruments tend to pulse rather than establish melodies. Toss in frenzied
drumming and you get something that's part dance and part village riot. The Ensemble's Website has several videos you can sample.
I was reading James Parker's piece in The Atlantic on the fading of heavy metal music as bands such as
Motorhead, Slayer, and AC/DC age-out (and die). Parker ought to give a listen
to Nashville-based All Them Witches before he rushes to judgment. Their
first full-length album, Dying Surfer Meets His Maker (New West Records) suggests there are
sparks of life left in death metal. At their best, ATW reminds me of Black
Sabbath with occasional Allman Brothers-like seasoning. I suppose some might
say that this band is a hybrid of metal, grunge, and Goth rock and that's
probably correct, but if you're looking for crunchy power chords, ominous bass,
and pounding drums, this is your ticket. Lead vocals are given over to bass
player Michael Parks, Jr. but a song such as "Dirt Preacher" is the
norm: a big cacophony of loud songs that largely drown the vocals. Even songs
such as "Swallowed by the Sea," which opens as if it is an
incantation, quickly give way to discordant walls of sound. Like metal in its
heyday, the music itself isn't overly complex because it's all about painting
the walls black. This isn't the sort of thing I'd want to hear everyday, but a
little fury is cathartic and the band's stripped down loudness makes a change
from processed fare that plays it safe.
Speaking of overly processed, I liked the Hamilton, Ontario
duo Twin Within (Steve McKay and
Alex Samras), but I didn't love them. Their debut LP/EP (eight tracks) Horizontal
Lines (Hidden Pony) has its
moments, but not enough of them. Canadian reviewers have compared their matched
timbre vocals to performers such as the Righteous Brothers, the Walker
Brothers, and Simon and Garfunkel, but that's overly charitable as they lack
the soul of the first, the grit of the second, or the poetry of the last. The
lineup of which they most remind me is Ireland's Snow Patrol, though as a duo
they can't replicate the contrasts and textures that makes it anodyne vocals
sting as well as soothe. "Faraway Car Rides" is typical in that
drifts toward a lullaby mood in which vocals and tune wash over us like a
perfumed breeze. The effect is hypnotic, but also indistinctive. The most
appealing track on the album by far is "Bernie." Insofar as I know,
it has nothing to do with Bernie Sanders, but it's enigmatic enough that one
could infer it as homage. More to the point, it's a slice of sunshine pop that,
in my view, most flatters the duo. Maybe these guys ought to watch some Wham!
videos.
Rob Weir
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