Grails — The burden of hope
Formed 3 years ago, Grails used to be named Laurel Canyon and self-released two ep’s. The musicians are coming from very different backgrounds (classical, hardcore, folk, rock) and it can be heard.
Originally formed to perform live songs composed by guitarist Alex Hall, Grails eventually became a band in its own right. The members ain’t newcomers: drummer Emil Amos released a few folk albums under the Holy Sons moniker and is said to have recorded over a thousand songs on his 4-track; violinist Timothy Horner has played with Jackie-O Motherfucker and guitarist Zak Riles play in Peace Harbour, a band said to be really, really good…
Album-opener The burden of hope sets the mood: vaguely melancholic, decidedly beautiful. The song is, in a way, slow core (it has the tempo, the sadness, the guitar sound), but at the same time, it’s something else: noises on the violin, temper rising at times. Lord I hate your day makes me shut the fuck up (almost), just a guitar line with some sounds in the background. Simple but oh so nice. The deed leads me in the house of a Jewish family from Eastern Europe thanks to the violin theme. A stunning piece showcasing the musicians as full of self-restrain, aware of the musical value of silence but not afraid of getting loud, very loud when necessary. I’m still spine-shivering when In the beginning …. begins. The music is very solemn, with piano used as the primary driving force. The songs slowly drifts towards more intensity, towards stronger emotions. Ah, the goosebumps… Invocation is more of an ambient piece, not far from what JOMF did on Wow! Next up is a cover of Space prophet dogon, a song originally recorded by legendary avant-rock / cowpunk act Sun city girls. Unfortunately, I don’t know the original, but this version is… oh well, is unbelievably good. It sounds Celtic in a way that doesn’t make me cringe (it usually does), it makes me happy. The march is very sad, very nostalgic, very low key, very moving, too short. Broken ballad is a slow, dreamy song, with a great melody that takes you somewhere you’ve never been, somewhere nice but not that joyful. White flag is another very quiet song ubntil you get some moments of tension between the violin and the guitar, tension that ends with a powerful but subtle moment of soaring violin and drumming over a beautiful melody crafted by guitars. Canyon hymn marks the end of the album in pared down fashion, with a sort of guitar loop and sparse drumming and guitar playing.
The Burden of hope is a beautiful album. There is not much to say beyond that simple fact. Grails play a very intense music that seems simple but is not, they have a real talent for melodies. As I said, they have something universal: any human being should be able to feel this music moving things deep inside its soul. Once again, Neurot released the album of an extremely talented band, positioning themselves as the best purveyor of trippy music in the US.