Advent
Advent is a
holiday album released by the group Erwilian, an ensemble that I regret to say
I am almost entirely unfamiliar with (I regret it because based on Advent I would enjoy their music, I
imagine). Advent, however, is not
your typical holiday recording, at least I suspect it will not be for most
American listeners. While the maxi-EP (six tracks, about thirty minutes of
music) only contains one original (by group member and acoustic guitarist Scott
Melton), of the other five traditional carols, only one was familiar to me,
"Carol of the Bells." The others are, I would guess, better known in
Europe, and specifically, France, England or the UK. That statement has
literally nothing to do with the quality of the music on the EP, or the
artistry of the performances of the band members. It is merely a relative
statement of the carols' "familiarity" to me, and I would imagine,
the average casual holiday music lover.
Erwilian's members are the aforementioned Scott Melton
(acoustic guitar, mountain dulcimer), Jordan Buetow (harmonium, percussion,
soprano recorder, hammered dulcimer), Matt Garcia (harp, bass), John Hintze
(celesta, drums, percussion, hand bells), Malcolm Lee (bass), Bethel Melton
(hammered dulcimer, chimes), and Keely Rendle (violin, mandolin, acoustic guitar).
You can judge (I hope) by the instruments, that Erwilian's sound evokes a
bygone era in English folk music, and a most ear-pleasing era it is. I've
always been a fan of both the recorder and the hammered dulcimer, and the
musicians who play these do so with uncommon talent. All of the artists
contribute mightily to the overall "whole" of the recording and the
production quality (engineering, mixing, and mastering) is flawless.
Let me start out with the one carol I am familiar with,
"Carol of the Bells," which gets a fantastic interpretation,
featuring no less than THREE hammered dulcimers playing the lead melody. This
has always been one of my seasonal favorites and Erwilian does right by it,
infusing it with the right mixture of haunting beauty and jaunty energy. The hand
bells are the perfect touch as well. By the end of the track, the energy level
and drama have ramped up before coming to a wonderful fade out.
"Wexford" kicks off the EP with the droning harmonium counterbalanced
by twinkling celesta notes and the main melody on violin. The mood at the
outset is pastoral, evoking a gentle snowfall over rolling hills, switching to
an uptempo cheeriness enhanced by hand percussion and hammered dulcimer. Simply
delightful! Recorder also contributes to a truly festive musical atmosphere
later in the song, and one can envision the countryfolk dancing in joyous
celebration. "Whiteout," the original composition by band member
Scott Melton, reminds me of any number of midtempo tunes by the duo Tingstad
and Rumbel, owing to the fact that it features acoustic guitar and recorder
(although, technically, Nancy Rumbel plays the ocarina, but the similarity is
still there to my ears). Gently rollicking, the main melody is also covered by
violin, the music should elevate the listener's mood nicely – it does mine.
The next two tracks have their origins in France, I believe.
"Animaux: La Crèche"
(here translated as The Friendly Beasts but I think it can be loosely
interpreted as the animals which appeared at the Nativity, and "Animaux:
La Faune" (which, per Google translate, means "wildlife
animals." Both are listed as traditional and the latter is noted as a
Burgundian carol. "Animaux: La Crèche"
is a lovely slow tempo carol, featuring guitar, celesta, dulcimer, and recorder,
and I could picture the various animals (frequently featured in paintings of
the Nativity) at rest beside the manger. "Animaux: La Faune"
immediately elevates the energy level of the melody and rhythm, making it easy
to see how the two carols diverge, i.e. "friendly beasts" compared to
their "wilder" counterparts. This song sounds like an English folk
dance melody (as do some of the other here). Lively and spirited, but also
possessed of a haunting mood at times.
The EP concludes with "Nova" which per the liner
notes is "Westminster Quarters (Traditional)." The opening bells
(sounding like church bells) obviously convey a joyous holiday spirit, as does
the hammered dulcimer. The mood here is the most celebratory of all the tracks,
with a more pronounced underlying rhythm and a "kick up your heels and let
your hair hang down" feeling of joyfulness. It's great ending piece.
Advent may not be
your typical American collection of holiday music, but I recommend you expand
your musical horizons and give it a virtual spin. If you entertain family or
friends, I have to think this would make great music for the gathering as it
paints an appropriate festive mood but does so in unexpected ways when compared
to the usual fare.
Advent and other Erwilian albums are available from CDBaby, Amazon, and iTunes.
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