Lovely But Stormy Weather, Broken Only Once.
Soulsavers & Friends bring a strong, emotion wrought story to life through music.
Soulsavers
Broken
Released on Sep 15, 2009
Leading off with an impressive sound scape of, what appears to be, a grim forebear of what will come; the opening to "The Seventh Proof" has the horn & string section jump alive to cast a ray of light into that stormy image. A long and, deceitfully short piece leads you on a walk through the shadow parts of your imagination, eventually letting you down easy. The production team comprised of Ian Glover & Rich Machin, having been active for almost a Decade, make it clear that they know their sound and it's abilities. This is just the very tip of the iceberg for the Soulsavers summer release of Broken, out on Columbia & V2 Records.This third album by the Soulsavers, after It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land and Tough Guys Don't Dance, proves to my ears that they're growing not only as musicians but as a team. It would serve as a good example to aspiring teams of musicians, of what can be done when you work as a whole. Their polish and planning of this album shines throughout, as evidenced by multiple listens.
Moving forward into the meat of the record, you are happily greeted by the surprisingly upbeat "Death Bells." Catchy with a snappy snare-heavy hook and, shimmering guitar riffs laden throughout; I found my head bobbing early on. I must say I've never worn a smile while hearing a man sing happily about his eventual dirt-nap, but it's a pretty good feeling. Call it schadenfreude or just plain good songwriting, the song is good. Mark Lanegan's dour-and-down vocals roll like a night's fog over the music and, certainly helps the Soulsavers' album along. Lanegan, ex Screaming Trees & collaborator extraordinare, plays host to a party of other signers present on this album. All bring their voice as an instrument to the song, allowing Glover & Machin to work their magic. They do so as the songs wash over you in their glorious and, ponderous ways. Halfway through "Some Misunderstand" you feel the rankled hands of a six-stringed wine as it slinks it's way through a solo; thats when it hits you. This work has shaped up to be a glorious, melancholy dirge; singing the misfortunes and stories of what seems like a downtrodden life. All artists are in full-form and attentive to the nuance of the song throughout this work.
I really hate to make direct comparisons in this context or, present "if A + B happened then, this" situations; but I can't help myself. The buttery low of Lanegan and the downtempo fell tolling of the Soulsavers sound brings a specific one to mind. Here goes, bear with me. If Bob Dylan wasn't creepy anymore and Tom Waits hadn't ruined his voice then, They would have made music like this. The ending lilts of "Pharaoh's Chariot" leading into the distant chimes of "Praying Ground" suggest that the laments of this story all have rich character, however morose. Each gently warbling guitar note casts another cut of sun through the cumulus of voice and rhythm. All is well and good, as I have been deeply immersed in this story's vision for the duration until, sharply, I am pulled out of my heady visualizations. Hit with the cacophony of "Rolling Sky" that seems too experimental and out of place. I must put it plainly that this track soured me on what was otherwise an interesting album. Scattered and Lost, perhaps they are attempting to evoke the same emotion for the sake of narrative, I could not say. It still made me cringe and hope for some continuation of what came before. This really was all that upset me from the beautiful storm of this well-executed and, expertly written album. They slowly won my ears and the mood again with the instrumental "Wise Blood" into the solemn & uplifting "By My Side" and, finally finishing with the apt "Sunrise." A feeling of rebirth, justifiably, occurs via the development and close of this track. I am left feeling have completed this journey through the jagged territories of Broken. A tip of the hat really must be given to the guys behind the boards, keys and, ideas enclosed here. Soulsavers give me hope for modern music: that though we must weather storms laden with doubt, fear and, mourning we will be rewarded at the end.
High Point
Very well written, Glover & Machin have an iron grip on their music, because it goes anywhere they want it to.
Low Point
A single jarring, unlikable track ripped me out of the experience. Somehow I got over it and survived.
Posted by Ben Kessell on Nov 05, 2009 @ 6:00 am
