Despite the heat holding steady around broiling here in Chicago, autumn is on the minds of everyone as school supplies are popping up everywhere. Having never been a good student, fall pretty much means I get to start my Halloween celebrating at my leisure. Call me a sucker for all things haunted and creepy, so naturally I would have some attachment to Vox Somnia's album The Broken Light. This album is committed to the darker and danker things in life. It lingers, it haunts and drags its listeners through the nitty gritty.
Anna Dorda is the owner of the voice that delivers these bittersweet performances on the tracks. There is an innocence and youth to her voice that makes these songs all the more unsettling at their core, but also beautiful. This isn't a harsh bummer, it's dreamy and enchanting. It works to slowly pull you in. Mike Millar does all the instrumental work which includes electronic elements as well as more organic ones. I love what he does with the piano because it helps elevate the music from purely an electronic core. He likes circles and winding rounds that expand and contract. The first two songs were solid, however a little flat in terms of pace and very hard to pull them apart. My favorite song is track three "Prom Song." Here these two break out of the shell of the first two tracks. They kick up the percussion ever so slightly, let the guitar waver around a bit and throw in some peppier synth sounds. Even Dorda's performance turns up the sweet factor. This is all done in irony of course as the lyrics still point downward, but I genuinely preferred this harsh contrast. This was an excellent choice for the middle of the album as a sort of climax as things wind back down with the next two tracks. The final track, "Swan" is also a favorite because there was much subtle drama with both the vocal and instrumental elements. On an instrumental level I got a healthy dose of that piano I like so much. With the vocals, Dorda employs a more classical approach which really turns up the gothic darkness on this song. I know there are more than enough dark dwellers that would enjoy what Vox Somnia has here. I think they are correct to commit to this area of the music world because it is a little deviation from what I usually hear. This is subtle, sweet and tastefully understated. They enjoy painting pictures and then letting them gather dust and fade with time. It felt like these two have an ease around each other that lets them be themselves. The was no conflict or even a strand of hair out of place, it always felt natural and and easy, even when they were being more experimental. I wish to extend my congratulations and I would be very curious to see if another collaboration is on its way.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Critique/insightWe are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.
Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook
Archives
May 2024
|