Search - Blithe Sons :: Arm of the Starfish

Strange New Folk (4.5/5)

M. Starr | Kansas City | 05/26/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Blithe Sons are part of a small new trend in recording, in that they record their albums with a sense of voyeuristic quality attached to them. It's a concept of recording an album that contains silent bits of space accompanied by a not-so-traditional way of production that creates an unfamiliar style to the average listener. This has become quite popular in the past several years as a way of creating a different type of ambiance between the medium (musician/music) and the listener. Like previous recordings by this Jewelled Antler duo of Glenn Donaldson and Loren Chasse, Arm of the Starfish is shared by the soundscapes of nature and a multitude of unordinary instruments that are ever-so-gently strummed to create a silent, yet endearing, piece of work. Of this particular genre, The Blithe Sons are by far the most talented at creating a sense of disposition that is rarely paralleled by their short list of colleagues. At times you hear footsteps, at other times you hear wind, trees, streams, and any other type of sound that is wholly organic. The guitars put off subtle hints of feedback, but never become obtrusive to the rest of the sounds involved. In fact, nothing on the album ever fights for position. And only infrequently will you hear the delicate vocals of Glenn Donaldson. Unlike a lot of "performance" type music, however, everything on The Blithe Sons' albums is done with the most precise placement and subtlety. That's the real challenge, isn't it? Truth be known, this is some excellent music to listen to. It's gentle, chaotic, interesting, deep, unobtrusive, and beautiful; all in one. If you are someone who enjoys this type of new-folk that is hitting the shelves, search no further than The Blithe Sons to give you the epitome of what this genre is about. The entire Jewelled Antler Collective, in fact, is generating some of the freshest material I've heard in the past few years. Arm of the Starfish is one of the best, and a highlight for this group of artists."

Thought-stopping

Craig Franklin | Brisbane, Australia | 04/15/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Some music just makes me stop doing whatever I'm doing, unable to form any cohesive thoughts. Eminem is one such example - my mind waves a little white flag and shuts down, presumably to protect itself from being corrupted by white-trash raps. The Blithe Sons achieve the same effect, but the opposite way, by creating gorgeous sounds that grab all of your focus and concentration and just won't let go.Take a look at "Sun Anenome", for example. Tape hiss, a faint voice sighing in the distance, and a muted out banjo tiptoeing along for ages. It's beautiful as anything, although it's difficult to exactly say "why" on paper. It's not for everyone, but people who open themselves to this sort of music will get taken away into another world, if only for a little while.An excellent CD, but not one that you want to put on in the background if there are things that you have to do."