BLACK HEART PROCESSION +SOLBAKKEN

Singing the praise of the epochal, epic major-minor chord change! Few bands have managed to define the beauty of this harmonic move in music to such a degree of dramatic force and shining, heart-warming melancholia like The Black Heart Procession during the course of their first four albums and now culminating their new found power in this EP (with six songs clocking in at well over thirty minutes they have definitely found a definition for extended play) together with Solbakken. Now they have reached a height of dynamic force within their original field that is only comparable to the might and beauty of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Godspeed You Black Emperor or The Rachel’s in their respective fields. A force to be reckoned with and to praise in the highest tones for the pure moments of bliss that roll by like an old black and white roadmovie by Jim Jarmusch (by the way regaling the same kind of loneliness and emptiness into the most beautiful pictures come sounds). An epic milestone, no less. From the opening piano / drum / guitar-intro to the last reverbing chord “in the fishtank 11”[1] offers all the dark beauty and almost painful emotionality that you have come to search for in alternative country.

Of course, the (French) vocals by Rachael Rose add a big layer of mystery and enigma to these songs, catching you right there, off your guard, in the first track “Voiture en rouge”, in the transition from sensual and mysterious female vocals to male vocals that say that they have seen too much already and on to a most lonely violin. Bigger and less happy but more encompassing and uplifting in those dark hours than “the ballad of cable Hogue” by Calexico. And lifting the spirits up and up higher to the blackened night sky and then falling off the sky like doomed meteors. Jeesh, that song is so beautiful I could listen to it for days (and I did.)

The rest of the record is no less enthralling and uplifting, only changing a little in mood and the proportions of epicness within the songs, sometimes going more into a modern independent / emo rock direction (“A taste of you and me”) at other times drawing back deeper and deeper into the idiosyncratic void of their own introversion (“Things go on with mistakes”). The latter especially sounding like old Bad Seeds – a welcome memory and remarkable distraction in our days of hyper-speed forgetting and drive-by shootings. And I also like that the record company didn’t shy away from putting that comparison into the liner notes to this CD, because usually record companies are wary of printing comparisons such as these onto their CDs because that is not good marketing. Good music, music driven by the need to create something worthwhile from out of nowhere, doesn’t care about marketing – or at least it shouldn’t, and musical heritages can’t be denied. The line-up could also include Gallon Drunk, especially during the drunkenly slurred vocals of “Your Cave”, or Hugo Race because of the long-winded walls of noise that breathe the fire of the blues in a postmodern fashion.

The sound stays lush and focused at the same time. A dominating violin or cello accompanied by a chord-oriented piano and the full and rich but also frustratingly melancholic voice of the singer blend over the thickly atmospherical orchestral arrangements of a alt-country band finding new depths of despair and pain each day. A lot of musicians means a lot of sounds and a wall of instruments to build a song. (Of course, this is a cry for bigger bands in some ways.) Touring hard for two years on “Amore Del Tropico”, more and more diving into the personae of cracked out truckers on drugs magically having received the gift of being able to play instruments, has paid off well. If you have ever seen The Black Heart Procession play live, you’ll know what I mean. Not a lot of bands have bottles of whiskey on stage anymore or at least not as an intended signifier, but because Whiskey tastes fine.

[1] If some out there don’t know, „In the Fishtank“ is a series propagated by the Dutch label Konkurrent, in which they’ll invite touring bands to spend two days in a studio and record whatever they like. It all started with No Means No and has moved into more avantgarde and jazz directions in the last years, since bands used this free space to explore music and ideas that otherwise wouldn’t fit into their music so much, like The Dirty Three, The Willard Grant Conspiracy or Snuff. Others are quite well known to do so anyway, like June of 44 or Sonic Youth. Since Tortoise invited The Ex to play with them the rule of two bands meeting each other in the studio has established, bringing the most interesting results. I can only advise you to take a look at them some time.

THE BLACK HEART PROCESSION + SOLBAKKEN

CD / Konkurrent

THE BLACK HEART PROCESSION + SOLBAKKEN In the fishtank 11 CD / Konkurrent

An epic on love lost, despair and dark emotions so beautiful and grand, it’ll blow you away. Hard to believe that these six songs were written and recorded in two days by two bands who only know each other for a tour or so. The sound and atmosphere is so rich and full, the emotionality and melancholia so perfectly crafted into sound, vocals and songs that I would have guessed at at least three months of hard labor. But “In the Fishtank”-sessions are always a little different. A highlight for the series and definitely a highlight for both bands involved. Some big names will shake in their boots with fear of being thrown of their thrones, but that is not necessary – The Black Heart Procession are busy building their own throne on which to reside.
Singing the praise of the epochal, epic major-minor chord change! Few bands have managed to define the beauty of this harmonic move in music to such a degree of dramatic force and shining, heart-warming melancholia like The Black Heart Procession during the course of their first four albums and now culminating their new found power in this EP (with six songs clocking in at well over thirty minutes they have definitely found a definition for extended play) together with Solbakken. Now they have reached a height of dynamic force within their original field that is only comparable to the might and beauty of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Godspeed You Black Emperor or The Rachel’s in their respective fields. A force to be reckoned with and to praise in the highest tones for the pure moments of bliss that roll by like an old black and white roadmovie by Jim Jarmusch (by the way regaling the same kind of loneliness and emptiness into the most beautiful pictures come sounds). An epic milestone, no less. From the opening piano / drum / guitar-intro to the last reverbing chord “in the fishtank 11”[1] offers all the dark beauty and almost painful emotionality that you have come to search for in alternative country. Of course, the (French) vocals by Rachael Rose add a big layer of mystery and enigma to these songs, catching you right there, off your guard, in the first track “Voiture en rouge”, in the transition from sensual and mysterious female vocals to male vocals that say that they have seen too much already and on to a most lonely violin. Bigger and less happy but more encompassing and uplifting in those dark hours than “the ballad of cable Hogue” by Calexico. And lifting the spirits up and up higher to the blackened night sky and then falling off the sky like doomed meteors. Jeesh, that song is so beautiful I could listen to it for days (and I did.) The rest of the record is no less enthralling and uplifting, only changing a little in mood and the proportions of epicness within the songs, sometimes going more into a modern independent / emo rock direction (“A taste of you and me”) at other times drawing back deeper and deeper into the idiosyncratic void of their own introversion (“Things go on with mistakes”). The latter especially sounding like old Bad Seeds – a welcome memory and remarkable distraction in our days of hyper-speed forgetting and drive-by shootings. And I also like that the record company didn’t shy away from putting that comparison into the liner notes to this CD, because usually record companies are wary of printing comparisons such as these onto their CDs because that is not good marketing. Good music, music driven by the need to create something worthwhile from out of nowhere, doesn’t care about marketing – or at least it shouldn’t, and musical heritages can’t be denied. The line-up could also include Gallon Drunk, especially during the drunkenly slurred vocals of “Your Cave”, or Hugo Race because of the long-winded walls of noise that breathe the fire of the blues in a postmodern fashion. The sound stays lush and focused at the same time. A dominating violin or cello accompanied by a chord-oriented piano and the full and rich but also frustratingly melancholic voice of the singer blend over the thickly atmospherical orchestral arrangements of a alt-country band finding new depths of despair and pain each day. A lot of musicians means a lot of sounds and a wall of instruments to build a song. (Of course, this is a cry for bigger bands in some ways.) Touring hard for two years on “Amore Del Tropico”, more and more diving into the personae of cracked out truckers on drugs magically having received the gift of being able to play instruments, has paid off well. If you have ever seen The Black Heart Procession play live, you’ll know what I mean. Not a lot of bands have bottles of whiskey on stage anymore or at least not as an intended signifier, but because Whiskey tastes fine. Why do we find so much joy and beauty in the saddest and most sorrowful songs? From Hank Williams sr. to “Seasons in the Sun” to the bad Seeds – a line draws through musical history that depicts the beauty of pain, the uplifting power of despair put into song. It would be much to much to try and outline this pop-history, but I do hope that at some point someone will write a book on the topic. And then he’ll just have to include this record. [1] If some out there don’t know, „In the Fishtank“ is a series propagated by the Dutch label Konkurrent, in which they’ll invite touring bands to spend two days in a studio and record whatever they like. It all started with No Means No and has moved into more avantgarde and jazz directions in the last years, since bands used this free space to explore music and ideas that otherwise wouldn’t fit into their music so much, like The Dirty Three, The Willard Grant Conspiracy or Snuff. Others are quite well known to do so anyway, like June of 44 or Sonic Youth. Since Tortoise invited The Ex to play with them the rule of two bands meeting each other in the studio has established, bringing the most interesting results. I can only advise you to take a look at them some time.