You’re eyes are not deceiving you – NYC based string quartet
/band ETHEL have indeed released a new album. Heavy, their first major release
since 2006’s Light (apart from a couple composer-centric albums), is a tribute
to New York City and also the last album to feature recently departed member
Mary Rowell.
ETHEL bridges the gap between releases with Don Byron’s “Four
Thoughts on Marvin Gaye” (of which #3 was on Light). Inspired less by the
actual music of Marvin Gaye and more on the man’s tumultuous life, ETHEL lead
right out of the gate with a fearless white knuckled tutti before embarking on
a stunning display of techniques – harmonics, glissandos, col legno, if you can
name it, it most likely makes an appearance of #1 if not one of the subsequent
movements. And yet what’s truly impressive is while having this multitude of
what could easily turn into blatant displays of instrumental prowess – ETHEL keep
it about the music. And though inspired by Marvin Gaye, it’s hard not to see
how Byron’s work fits into ETHEL homage to the city – soulful, endlessly busy
but not oppressively so – any movement could be the soundtrack to the city at
night (with #3 emphasizing the hint of danger that lurks around ).
Julia Wolfe’s “Early That Summer” is a mammoth of a piece
that can best be described as series of stacked moments continuously attempting
to up the ante. There’s no rest, no break, instead it’s eleven straight minutes
of nail-biting end-of-your-seat pyrotechnics. Each moment from its’ gun-shot
like intro goes bigger than you thought possible with nary a thought given to the
threat of everything toppling over. When
the piece comes to a stop with a series of thick, clustered chords, you can
hardly believe it.
Raz Menisai’s “La Citadelle” is fair and above the most
groove-centric piece on the album, taking the place of Light’s “Chai” building
upon a series of earth-trembling deep ostinatos as the piece plods on
minimalistically altering its grooves with a Middle Eastern air. There’s slides
and glissandos reminiscent of sirens that manage to ground the fantastical
sounding piece into a sort of briefly accepted reality before launching once
again on its rhythmic melismatic voyage of grooves.
ETHEL’s decision to close out the album with frequent
collaborator Marcelo Zarvos’ “Rounds” gives the album a feeling of splendid
closure – the piece is vibrantly melodic with skyward reaching moments. Heavy’s
theme of busy-ness returns here but without any of the pseudo-claustrophobic
feel, instead offering an added dynamic to Zarvos’ colorful sprawl. If Byron’s “Four Thoughts on Marvin Gaye”
portrayed a city at night, Zarvos’ “Rounds” provides its parallel as a work of
boundless freedom with smile-inducing brightness; a work of endearing calm despite
its variety of rapidly moving parts.
Heavy is an album that certainly lives up to its name. Full
of intense moments of clamor and balls-to-the-wall frenetic energy, ETHEL also
balances it with bold musical statements, truly unexpected twists and turns,
and a pristine clarity in ideas. Each piece manages to establish itself not
only as an album highlight but as a distinctive part of ETHEL musical tapestry –
their homage takes many forms, mostly in an almost breakneck bustle with a moment
of relief offered almost exclusively in the form of short interlude-esque “Wed”
by David Lang. But at no point is the pacing overwhelming highlighting one of
most notable aspects of the city the foursome so clearly love: its relentless
hustle. Heavy is an album that achieves absolute balance with just enough going
on to keep you on your toes while simultaneously keeping your total and
undivided attention. Proving that with
ETHEL, the wait is almost definitely worth it.
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