Source
Track Listing:
1. Portrait
2. The Trail
3. A Lonesome Road
4. Glowing
5. Of Lights
6. The Several Seas (Bonus Track)
Try The Calamari returns with a review of Northern Abbey's brand new EP, The Sounds of Glowing. When Nick Lambert announced the impending release of his project's next album, I fervently patroled Northern Abbey's Bandcamp for days (It just so happens that the EP was released the one day I didn't visit the site).
Odd as it is, the songs in this album reminded me of a winding brook flowing inbetween moss-covered trees. Why is this odd despite my awkward phrasing? Because Northern Abbey's Bandcamp reads, "[Nick Lambert] loves all the greenery, forests, rain, lakes, and people that the northwest brings together, and writes music as a sort of soundtrack to all of it." Whether you believe me or not, I noticed this description midway through listening to the album. It's fair to say Nick is a master at creating imagery through his music. Particularly reminiscent of said imagery are the tracks Portrait, The Trail, and Of Lights.
The album opens with the serene yet relatively upbeat Portrait. The track boasts flawless instrumental combinations such as an interesting piano and guitar colaboration along with Nick's steady vocals. A perfect song to ring in the new album, in my opinion.
In the next track, The Trail, Nick sought out the help of his wife, Shiloh, to create a very calming and peaceful melody. Though subtle, this acoustic track showcases feel-good euphonics that'll demand your undivided attention.
The EP takes a dramatic turn in the following track, A Lonesome Road. A Lonesome Road is an instrumental with (what I assume to be) Arabic influences. While listening to this track, a feeling of impending dread is what I would describe my immediate feelings as. Not to say that I dislike the track; in fact, it's quite the opposite. This instrumental is original and an provides an interesting change of pace.
Glowing is a little bit more progressive than the earlier songs in the EP. This track's tempo alternates from from a somewhat rapid pace to a soothing, melodic gait. However, the next track, Of Lights, maintains a slow tempo that is quite mesmerizing.
Finishing off the EP, Nick offers us a bonus track. The Several Seas (Bonus Track). It's easy to tell why Nick labelled this song as a bonus track as the sound doesn't quite correlate with the other songs in the album, but that doesn't make this song any less incredible. The Several Seas (Bonus Track) has somewhat of a 70s electronic vibe (or Sega Genesis vibe) with heavy used of synthesizers. It's certainly a unique way to finish off the album.
Though short, it's plain to tell that the effort put into these songs is more than most artists put into full-length albums. I urge you to migrate to a desolate location and listen to The Sounds of Glowing in its entirety. You will not be disappointed, and if you are, well then, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Final Verdict:
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Odd as it is, the songs in this album reminded me of a winding brook flowing inbetween moss-covered trees. Why is this odd despite my awkward phrasing? Because Northern Abbey's Bandcamp reads, "[Nick Lambert] loves all the greenery, forests, rain, lakes, and people that the northwest brings together, and writes music as a sort of soundtrack to all of it." Whether you believe me or not, I noticed this description midway through listening to the album. It's fair to say Nick is a master at creating imagery through his music. Particularly reminiscent of said imagery are the tracks Portrait, The Trail, and Of Lights.
The album opens with the serene yet relatively upbeat Portrait. The track boasts flawless instrumental combinations such as an interesting piano and guitar colaboration along with Nick's steady vocals. A perfect song to ring in the new album, in my opinion.
In the next track, The Trail, Nick sought out the help of his wife, Shiloh, to create a very calming and peaceful melody. Though subtle, this acoustic track showcases feel-good euphonics that'll demand your undivided attention.
The EP takes a dramatic turn in the following track, A Lonesome Road. A Lonesome Road is an instrumental with (what I assume to be) Arabic influences. While listening to this track, a feeling of impending dread is what I would describe my immediate feelings as. Not to say that I dislike the track; in fact, it's quite the opposite. This instrumental is original and an provides an interesting change of pace.
Glowing is a little bit more progressive than the earlier songs in the EP. This track's tempo alternates from from a somewhat rapid pace to a soothing, melodic gait. However, the next track, Of Lights, maintains a slow tempo that is quite mesmerizing.
Finishing off the EP, Nick offers us a bonus track. The Several Seas (Bonus Track). It's easy to tell why Nick labelled this song as a bonus track as the sound doesn't quite correlate with the other songs in the album, but that doesn't make this song any less incredible. The Several Seas (Bonus Track) has somewhat of a 70s electronic vibe (or Sega Genesis vibe) with heavy used of synthesizers. It's certainly a unique way to finish off the album.
Though short, it's plain to tell that the effort put into these songs is more than most artists put into full-length albums. I urge you to migrate to a desolate location and listen to The Sounds of Glowing in its entirety. You will not be disappointed, and if you are, well then, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Final Verdict:
(This is Chiz. I copied your comment from the About section in case you meant to reply to this post.)
ReplyDeleteUnknown
June 12, 2013 at 1:25 PM
Hello,
This is Nick Lambert, from Northern Abbey. Thank you again, for such a kind review. Just wanted to get you a quick correction though, :) Shiloh Lambert is actually my wife. Not my sister. ha! Just thought i'd give you a heads up. Thanks again for the review. I truly appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Nick Lambert
Oops, I tried to do my research, but I just assumed it was your sister after a while of searching. My apologies! Sorry about the mistake. And, thanks for the kind words, and keep on making awesome music! Looking forward to your future releases.
DeleteThe mistake has been corrected. Shiloh is now your wife.
I love the diversity of this. I can't quite pinpoint the ethnicity either, but I love the turn it takes at A Lonesome Road. That's when I knew I was hearing something special. A very solid EP, and one I look forward to buying soon.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the only place that I could find that sells the album is Bandcamp.com. Though, there wasn't anything too out of the ordinary about the purchasing process.
Delete