A year and a half ago, I posted about Russian prog folk duo Iamthemorning, writing that their music focused, “…more on the art of the [progressive rock] genre, crafting wonderful tracks with some fantastic songwriting. While my opinions haven’t changed since, that post was focused on the band’s second release Belighted and I’m here to talk about their new album Lighthouse, which comes out tomorrow via Kscope.
The 12-track album features guest appearances from drummer Gavin Harrison and bassist Colin Edwin, both of Porcupine Tree, as well as Mariusz Duda of Riverside and was mixed by Marcel Van Limbeek (Tori Amos).
So you can understand everything I’m talking about in regards to Lighthouse, I’ve placed a stream of it above (courtesy of AllMusic). If you like it as much as I do, make sure to pre-order your copy via iTunes.
True to the album name, the opening track “I Came Before The Water Part 1” gives the impression that we are standing on a jetty, the sound of water gently lapping at the shore, seagulls softly calling in the distance. Vocalist Marjana Semkina then enters with a voice that is pure and effortless, almost as clear as the watery feel that the track aims to invoke. As the song comes to an end, it takes a twist, entering into what almost feels like the onset of a bad dream, dissonant notes chiming like the bells of a child’s toy.
And so begins a musical journey that, as I wrote in the headline, feels like the soundtrack to some sort of dark fairy tale. “Libretto Horror” is the soundtrack to some sort of macabre ballroom dance while “Clear Clearer” shimmers and shines while evoking feelings of yearning and regret.
Meanwhile, “Sleeping Pills” is like a lullaby that would fit perfectly in the nursery of the Wicked Witch. It’s not ugly or bad. Quite the opposite, in fact. However, there is a sinister undertone, an underlying eeriness that haunts. Beautiful pianos mixed with a ghostlike choir and sparse percussion give this track an almost phantasmagorical feel.
My personal favorite track is the title track, which features Duda. Gleb Kolyadin plays the piano with absolutely stunning clarity and dynamics. It’s clear that his performance here is full of passion, love, and emotion. There are passages here that are breathtaking and the contrast between Semkina and Duda in the last third of the song is nothing short of inspired. It’s the kind of song that made me sit back, close my eyes, and drink in every moment.
There are subtle dissonances that run throughout the album, little flashes that give this album a somber darkness that never strays far, even when some tracks bring forth a playfulness, such as with “Too Many Years” or “Matches”.
The album ends with “Post Scriptum”, which takes the melody of the opening track and gives it an almost traditional folk flavor. Putting the album on repeat, you’ll immediately hear how the album flows from beginning to end to beginning again, creating a hypnotic cyclical journey.
Lighthouse is an album that played to some very different parts of my psyche. On one hand, I listened to it as an adult, fascinated with the technicality and the wonderful musical progressions, of which there are a great many. But I also listened to it almost like a child, the music setting my imagination loose to craft and weave my own complimentary stories. There is something magical about what I felt and I cherished every moment.
The Final Word: What Iamthemorning have crafted with Lighthouse is nothing short of a transcendent opus that is nearly impossible to turn off. I strongly urge anyone who appreciates music as a form of art to give this a very serious try.
