- Label: Borne!
- Year: 2009.
- Style: Indie Folk.
- Format: CD.
- Note:
- Score: 76%
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I expected ”House of Sticks” to be a totally new album, but it turned out to be a MCD, kind of. A couple of the tracks are new and unreleased ones, and about just as many are some of the best ones from their debut album in more or less rearranged versions. Personally, I don’t get the point, but at the same time, I’m glad they managed to pick out the tracks from ”Wayfaring Summer”, as the debut was called, that are actually the good ones. Exception; The grumpy blues-thing ”Alligator” which I will probably never make friends with.
The iffy banjos in classics like ”River and Rapids” and ”Dance, Sing, Fight” does nothing but good for me but at the same time, I can sense this was a strange solution to cover up for the lack of new material.
You might think this was their way to let newcomers explore both old and new material in one purchase, but since this is a very limited release, probably only for the fans, that idea falls.
But hey, what am I beefing about here anyway? Before me I have some of the best ARBOREA tracks ever, and the new ones are terrific exhibitions in unique, indie songwriting from a duo that keeps exploring their mountain folk music that now sounds better than ever before, not only production-wise.
”Look Down Fair Moon” is a super-cozy, super-mysterious semi improvised raga like instrumental and the title track moves towards a far more atmospheric sound with lots of reversed strokes and Shanti’s lovely vocals.
Almost the same can be said about ”In the Tall Grass”, that starts with layers of atmospheres but ends up in a very sweet lullaby drone / folk blend.
And, however I look at it, ”House of Sticks” is a solid work of art, filled with love, beauty and sentiment. A great introduction to an interesting folk duo for newcomers, if they manage to track it down since this limited digipak is just as well a must buy for the fans and I guess it will be sold out pretty soon.
Tracklist:
- River and Rapids
- Beirut
- Alligator
- Dance, Sing, Fight
- Look Down Fair Moon
- House of Sticks
- Onto the Shore
- In the Tall Grass
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