One of three cdr’s which i received from this project. Last year I already reviewed the album “In all Poems there are Wolves”, which demonstrated an unusual dark and folky sound, rather grave and experimental. Dead Raven Choir is a project around a Polish guy named Smolken. On this release he is assisted by three other musicians. In the booklet can be read that this cd was completed on the 75th birthday of A.A.Milne, creator of Winnie de Pooh. This release contains two songs based on texts by A.A. Milne, as well as various songs with lyrics by Christian Morgenstern, all given the remarkable Dead Raven Choir treatment.
The music starts tranquil with the sound of an acoustic guitar. Soon things get more unstelling, with many dissonant chords and sudden electrical guitar outbursts. The estranging, theatrical voice of mr. Smolken makes the sound even more unsual. At times he sounds very creepy, like someone reciting an old horror story. Dead Raven Choir offers us a mixture of folky pieces, psychedelic fuzzy noises and at times even a bluesy feel. The fact that there are no clear melodies and refrains makes it not very accessible. I could have appreciated a little more variation, it is hard to remember individual songs. But overall this is quite interesting material, with an unique sound. My biggest problem: when do you listen to this music? Its is not something to dance to, and it is not very relaxing either. And I would not dare to listen to it late at night in the dark…
This cdr will soon also be released in Poland by Cat Sun Release.
