their best yet - First and foremost Orenda and Maria are deeply introspective and unpretentious poets.They are mere mortals and they embrace, yet do not crush, that fact. Nor do they seefit to make it an altar on which to sacrifice their inner children. The culminationis that of ancient souls very much aware of their current journey through whimsicalyouth. That and a profound sense that both the old and the new are keenly aware ofand watching the other with curious fascination. They articulate these things witha magical ease that would make the best of deeply human sentiment driven poets tosnap all their crayons in half and take a sabbatical in hopes of losing all the loftyveneer that weights them near to drowning in waters five syllables deep. They don tget too specifically personal (no songs that tell us the names of everyone they knowand love and hate - a thing that is all too prevalent in music lately) and they don tdole out huge clay tables of sage lesson. Instead they discuss experience in thecontext of experience.Secondly they both have multitudes of identity in their voices. Energetic and happychildren etched with young women in and out of love and overcast by clouds of theweary who have been worn much by experience. They sing sing softly. To many a singerthat is a death card as the human voice usually sounds very different at variousvolumes and we live in a culture that charms the the loud and often harsh. Yet theythrive in the serene end of the pool and again it is magically transposed to the ear.Their voices compliment one another on an order that is seldom experienced. Get tolove one and you ll melt to a euphoric puddle of goo when you hear them both together.One of the hallmarks of Azure Ray has been an oft song that sort of drones along thesame base few chords and/or rythems. They not only pull it off such that one doesn tfeel they ve been droned but they go so far as to somehow keep it sounding fresh.I suspect part of that has to do with their skill and talent as musicians equalingthat of every aspect previously mentioned. Their choice of harmonies and rythems aresuch that they compliment this style. But not everything they do is like that. Infact on this album they demonstrate a most impressive harmonically rich song We AreMice that really tugs the listener in with it s dark delicious alternating dissonanceand consonance with verse must surely have been penned by someone with firsthandknowledge of clinical depression: it s all in the eyesthe reckless way we dream to dieour past is our future...we ll touch hands on the streetsmile and keep moving on towards the heat...it s our lot in life And again they depart in If You Fall which is anything but a drone. It s majorchords progress in half steps with a joyful vivaciousness that will have youbouncing up and down in your seat to tempo. The lyrics of this song fall inthematically with the the whole Hold On Love thread and have elements ofoptimism, fascination, curiosity, and somewhat tame optimism: let s talk and we ll fill the air with imagery that lasts forever...if you fall will you get up...you drift too far will you swim towards the shoreand if you fell in love will you hold on to it...you speak so sweet with words so delicatea glass i hope will never shatter And of as mentioned the weary and worn exemplified in Look To Me : i hold your hand as you slip from meas i watch your breath i say to myself one day this will all end...but i know you re right as i begin to packwithout raising your eyes i hear you sigh oh you ll be backbecause i look to you and you look to mewe re a real f****d up family This is Azure Ray s finest collection to date. I see they ve both done soloalbums and in reading an interview with Orenda Fink I was left with theimpression that while things are still good they are feeling the need fortime away from one another. Not surprising at all but tragic if that shouldturn into a permenant arrangement. I understand they ve been touring apart,one as Azure Ray and the other with collaborative efforts with other musicianswhich fortifies my concern. While both are good as individuals it would bea terrific loss to lose them as a team. I m always amazed at what hits theairwaves and music videos, at who is raking in sickening amounts of moneyand who still tour as if on a serious budget. These two women are the realdeal. If you like what you ve read give them a shot. If you like your shotthen spread the word and buy a copy for a friend or two. It s up to peoplelike you and I to force an obviously corrupt music industry s hand to playa much higher caliber of music consistently. Your dollar is the vote thatcounts.Best Wishes, -frank-
aural medicine - it s awesome for those nights when you feel completely alone and doomed to fail at life. it s awesome when you need to know that things might not get better and that it s still going to be okay. it s awesome when none of the other cd s you have seem to fit. it s beautiful and poetic. it helps you make something good out of life when it sucks the most. it helps you through those times that we all have.
Evocative -- A Slow Dance in a Ghost Town - Taking nothing from their own uniquely sonorous voices, I find Azure Ray at an evocative intersection of Suzanne Vega, Dar Williams, and Margo Timmins of The Cowboy Junkies. There is an anti-heroic quality of pastoral loneliness in their voices, like whispers sung, highly recommended.
Azure Ray - Beautiful. Every positive adjective known to man.Enough said.
Great Video - The song We are Mice is great, and the young boy in the video is very good!