Mimi's Magic Moment
Written on 3:41 AM by yudi
Salem Hill recently released their most ambitious project yet, Mimi's Magic Moment. Throwing aside sensibility and their previous dabbling into mainstream rock, Mimi finds Carl Groves and company at their creative best. Four long, orchestral compositions brimming with the freedom to groove, meander, and jam, yet packed with the melodic vocal genius that sinks this band's songs irrevocably into your soul. This album grips and haunts me, each and every song, and it doesn't get stale after repeated listening. Copious repeated listening, at this point. It's my 2005 album of the year.
Two of these songs I experienced live before I had heard the record (see the concert review here), which was a special treat. This music is different from Be, much more jazzy and old-school progressive. Ripping off their neo badge, Tennessee's Salem Hill proudly resurrects that joyous English spirit of musical creativity last seen in 1973. The Joy Gem, which begins somewhat Kansas flavored, morphs into pure Salem Hill aural bliss, one of Carl's most creative compositions. Telling a cryptic tale of a mythical Gem of Joy fought over by armies, which I interpret as an allegory of the gift of salvation, besmirched throughout the ages by men and institutions bent on molding it to their own image. Its an epic number, with extended instrumental interludes, highlighted by the guest appearance of David Ragsdale (Kansas) on violin. Kevin Thomas' drums are tight and perfectly recorded. Pat Henry's bass thumps and growls as it grooves. Michael Dearing and Carl Groves trade guitar licks and piano, organ and synth solos. And as fine of musicians as they are, Salem Hill seldom showboats, every lick is deliberate and meaningful, and adds to the aurally impressionistic masterpiece that they have crafted. They sound tighter and more polished than ever, and the joy of a band in their prime doing what they love shines through every extended note. Can anything top that?
In fact, amazingly the album gets better with each song. All Fall Down, penned by Michael Dearing, is a song about pride and performance, exposing the lie that popularity brings. He should know, he just finished touring the world for years with country mega-star Gretchen Wilson. Again, the poignant lyrics are gripping, but musically the creativity and freedom expressed grabs you until the song sputters out into flailing cacophony of guitars, signifying the angel crashing to earth under the weight of bloated pride. After a deep breath, the hauntingly gorgeous Stolen By Ghosts takes you by the hand and leads you into the realm of broken dreams. Another Dearing epic, it tells the sad tale of someone burdened by a tragic loss of loved ones. Like an elixir distilled from the Robbery of Murder, this song tugs at your emotions and deepest fears, yet manages to be inexplicably beautiful. Again, Ragsdale's soaring violins lead into Carl's layered keyboard soloing which then trades licks with Dearing's guitars and back around again in the most splendid of freeform jams. Seldom does modern progressive rock music sound as fresh and exhilarant as this. It's rare that a 20 minute song doesn't wear out its welcome, but the last minute of each song is as fresh as the first. This is the same creative freedom that bands like Camel experimented with in the dawn of the 1970's, yet packed with much more lyrical depth and songwriting skill. What is left of me now, all of it stolen by ghosts? That sad refrain echoes long after the disc keeps spinning.
Like your four adored children, you simply can't choose a favorite song here, you just enjoy each for their uniqueness. But that doesn't stop The Future Me from completely blowing you away, even as you're still reeling from Ghosts. Ripping into a Frippishly layered repetitive jam, which Carl then solos over on guitar and then synthesizers, the song builds musically for several blissful minutes before the vocals finally kick in. Groves and Patrick Henry's words expound upon juxtaposition between the futility of religious arguments and failures and the gloriously perfect recreated beings we will someday become, that endless battle within the human soul. This is deep, introspective stuff, most likely over the head of the casual listener that doesn't take the time to think through the depth of the poetic revelations. And the music has the depth to match, the fruit of musicians in sync and enjoying one another as they go off on creative musical explorations that mirror perfectly the spiritual searching displayed in the words. The song builds to a fantastic crescendo, highlighted by special guest Fred Schendel's (of Glass Hammer) lightning-fast piano solo. Mimi's Moment is indeed Magic and it is unlikely that you'll hear an album as powerful and satisfying as this anytime soon. {dt}
Posted in
Music
|
