Cities is the newest offering from Steven R. Smith (of Hala Strana, Ulaan Khol, Thuja, Mirza).
It feels to me as though he has captured some of my core on tape. Gentle, darkly textural passages give way into melodic beauty. The songs are amorphous, but there is never a moment where the changes lack form or substance. Everything is part of a whole that is evolving from one spontaneous present to another.
The titles of the tracks might evoke images of twilit city buildings, aging in rows along the streets, bits of trash or a few patches of hardy plants, pavement, the tiny lights of distant cars, the hollow intimate spaces within apartment buildings. But the music is human; timeless, placeless.
Cities was recorded entirely on analog equipment and pressed to vinyl in an edition of 900 copies. You can order a copy here.
[download] The Paling Day
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[download] The Road
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
-kevin-