One special thing that a good album can do is to awaken me to the beauty of a particular instrument. Abysses accomplishes that for the clarinet. Before listening to this, I'm not sure that I could've identified a clarinet from a lineup of wind instruments; now I would feel more confident.
Interestingly, I don't think the clarinet is supposed to be the centerpiece. This is neoclassical or neofolk music, mostly based on the guitar and with some light drumming. Sometimes there are vocals, either black metal style or the ethereal processed vocals that I am also partial to. The clarinet is meant to be an accent, in the same way that the vocals are; but for me, it steals the show. The vocals are nothing extraordinary, but the clarinet stands out.
Try "Sentiero dell'eternita" for an example of what I mean. The band's core set of instruments establishes a nice melody, and then, just when it starts to get a little repetitive, the clarinet slips in at 2:20 and lights it up. My other favorite track, "Contemplation," features the clarinet throughout.
The end of the album takes a doomy, melancholy turn, which I think works well. Neofolk music can get a bit saccharine, and I'm glad that the creators of this album pushed back against that.
A better album would have pinned me to my seat a bit more, but Abysses is worth a listen if you're into pretty, spare stuff, or if you want to hear some lovely clarinet.
Comments
If you'd like to comment, you need to be logged in. See the nav bar at the top. If you don't have an account, I'd love to create one for you! Just email me.