Human - Falling You
J. Jury | London | 02/07/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"STYLE
Ethereal, passionate female vocals and subtle shadowy electronica. Falling You create moody synthetic soundscapes of drifting tonal beds, lonely strings, dark washes and haunting drones punctuated by the odd piano - sometimes beatless, carried sometimes by programmed percussion. The various voices are often given plenty of space, instrumental accompaniment tending to be low key, tastefully sparse - almost ambient in places. Plenty of atmosphere thickens the air, touching the words with colour and building an aura around each vocalist. Beats don't dominate when they are present, rather they work to drive the smooth instrumentation into motion - simple rhythmic structures that maintain the focus firmly on the singers. There is a strongly cinematic thread running through many tracks that at its most brooding might suggest a gothic influence, but more accurately reflects the luxurious appeal of darker tones and sombre atmospheres, the drama of eventide, the mystique of ambiguity.
MOOD
Human is a subtle, serene and captivatingly heady album, one of misted expanse and uncertain depth. The sound often has doleful classical elegance about it - ambient drones wafting in ethereal strands that evoke the same low blue light as the cover art, vocal deliveries that range from lonely angelic weightlessness through to emotive human expression that seems at times to be drawn up from the depths of the soul. The words are poetic and deeply personal, the music sorrowful, beautiful, transporting.
ARTWORK
Beautiful chiaroscuro photography tinted blue - a female torso fronts the package strongly lit from a sharp reverse angle, minimal text hanging silver in the darkness. Behind, the image is repeated and rotated ninety degrees. A script style font lists the track titles. Below is a two paragraph discussion of human nature and its dual capacity. Opening the insert we find the front cover figure completed - knees drawn up, lying in shadow. A third panel holds a small credits section and a paragraph of thanks. Turning over we find another backlit blue model, this time silhouetted from neck to nose tip - alongside are listed the vocalists and John Michael Zorko's instrumental equipment. The remaining two panels present lyrics for each piece - everything tastefully laid out in silver and pale blue. Overall a classy item that contributes nicely to the mystique of the album.
OVERALL
Falling You is primarily John Zorko's project - he produces the music and collaborates with a series of talented singers that each bring their own unique personality within the fold. Contributing both lyrics and melodies are here - Dru Allen (of This Ascension, Mirabilis), Jennifer McPeak, Erica Mulkey (Unwoman), Aimee Page and Suzanne Perry (of Love Spirals Downwards) bringing the Human touch, each uniquely brimming with feeling and melancholy beauty. Aimee Page employing oriental style inflections that invoke exotic association, Dru Allen soaring, touching dramatic heights, Suzanne Perry concluding the album with gentle, emotional softness. Zorko's arrangements range from delicate melodic themes to textural layers and atonal noise - deeply saturated mood pieces, beguiling and absorbing. Human is the band's follow-up to 2005's Touch - the band having started out in 1996 releasing their debut Mercy back in 1998.
WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
Human will appeal to fans of electronic female vocal music with a leaning toward the darker tones. If you enjoy Lisa Gerrard, Delerium's moodier material or the kind of soundtrack music that establishes wistful, dreamy atmosphere then this could well be one for you. Falling You have pretty much captured the Morpheus acronym: Music of relaxation - passionate, heavenly, earthly, unearthly, synthetic.
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Beautiful!
C. Gonzalez | 07/20/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I just received the new "Human" album in the mail, and it's fantastic. Falling You puts into music and lyrically beautiful words the hard to describe atmospheric and mysterious places that exist in the mind and spirit."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1