healthyliving : "Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief"

 Bringing together musicians from Scotland , Germany and Spain, this trio kicks up an impressive melancholic brand of driving rock that borders on metal. The second song "Dream Hive' has more of a post punk jangle, that explodes out on the chorus. This keen sense of dynamics is what I listen for in music from all genres. The stark alto of Amaya is expressive. While  she is not a Siouxsie clone, you can hear traces of that influence. She proves to be a powerful singer capable of belting it out as needed. This album two songs in is proving to be a happy surprise, so I am hoping they can keep up this momentum. By momentum I do not mean pace as I am fine with things dropping into a gloomier mood for "Galleries".  I typically prefer reflective music with varying grooves. This song creates more of a smoldering post-rock power ballad feel. Not as ghostly as Chelsea Wolfe, but looking in that direction. 

They find a more expansive twist on the previous ballad formula with "To the Fields". Very well written flowing song. Gives her the room to show what she can do. Then they get heavier on 'To the Gallows' that finds a dramatic shift in Amaya's vocal approach a great deal of forward placement in her tone, that creates a more nasal jazzy bleating. It works with the tempo and intensity of the song. I appreciate singers that give the songs more character this way, and wear different masks to tell the story. "Bloom" is more like conventional indie rock with a slight 90s grunge heft to the chorus. The guitars are strummed rather than chugged or attacked. 

The harder elements are shed as the focus of their songwriting shifts after "Bloom". The focus is placed on indie rather than rock, as the guitar shift into a more folk like place with "Back to Back" . This still works for me as it allows her space to sing. The song does build into a louder dynamic, more akin to say Meg Myers.  "Limbs" is more sullen and holds more in common with Emma Ruth Rundle, in it's doom folk moodiness. Perhaps not as hooky as some of Rundle's work, but full of emotion. The last song  indulges in more atmosphere, as it  hovers like a dream rather than building into something solid. I will give this album a 9.5, as it excels in bringing moody songwriting into the focus with a blend of downtrodden melodies yearning for hope.