Voice Of Glass was founded in 2002 by American guitarist David Meek and Ukrainian-Bulgarian vocalist Olya Meek. The band has accomplished a lot in their twenty years together but today we are going to be concentrating on their three- song release entitled Hours. One thing that sets this release apart is their collaboration with David Warner who provides cello, violin and even some back-up vocals.
The album begins with “All That Surrounds” which starts with a somber soundscape of pads and acoustic guitar. Vocals quickly come into the mix and are delivered with earnest and honest seriousness. Drums and lead guitar quickly followed and I was getting an ’80s and ’90s flavor when this happened. The orchestral strings don’t disappoint either and by this point the song takes on an epic quality. Some of the vocal parts are treated with reverb and delay to really emphasize the soaring qualities. The song essentially builds and builds and was an impressive opener. Their experience certainly shows on this song. Next up is “The River” which begins with a distorted swell that lands on distant lead guitar and strummed acoustic guitar. Similar to the previous song this song is epic in scope. It has some attitude as well which I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s also quite mystical and mysterious sounding. The lush strings sound fantastic around the two-minute mark. The mix of rock and classical contemporary was very cool sounding. I thought the vocals were quite catchy as well and could imagine a large group of people singing along. There’s even some whistling in the song along with killer crescendos around the four-minute mark. Last up is “Hours” which begins with a beautiful arrangement of acoustic guitar, pads and orchestral strings. These are the most intimate moments on the album. It’s a song about longing, love and connection or that’s at least how I interpreted it. There’s a lot of space for the vocals which displays some of the more nuanced tones and textures of the singing. The song does build with intensity as it progresses but not with percussion. Take for instance the vocal approach which is the most dynamic part of the song. I loved some of the closing lyrics where Meek sings “Can’t you see I’m alive.” The band goes three for three with very well-crafted songs. They have a lot of experience and I felt that throughout these songs. I have to admit I wasn’t aware of the band prior to this release and have since become a fan. There’s a good chance you will too so take a listen.
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