Already the third album of Michael Gira’s post-Swans project The Angels of Light. Whatever he does, his creations are never boring. The title of the album, ‘Everything is good here’, should be taken a little ironically, because Gira’s universum isn’t usually so sheerful.
There are quite a few twisted dark rocksongs on this album. The noises and drones which are familiar from the Swans are also present, more dominant than on previous Angels of Light albums. Furthermore the low voice of Gira is accompanied by quite a collection of instruments, which are mostly associated with folk and country music, like mandolin, banjo, steel guitar, accordeon, as well as violins, trumpets, vibraphone and marima.
These ingredients combined lead to a rather dense sounding whole, sometimes close to madness and cacaphony. A name which comes to mind is Nick Cave’s Birthday Party. The best example is the stomping ‘Rose of Los Angeles’, which hammering organ also reminds me of The Doors’ ‘Roadhouse blues’.
Various slow, intimate songs are also present, like ‘All souls’ rising’, though its lyrics are not like a typical lovesong, displaying Gira’s usual occupation with skin, bones and other parts of the human body. My favourite piece would be ‘Sunset park’, a hypnotizing repetitive piece, with a single line of lyrics (‘She brings some, she’ll bring some, she brings one, she’ll bring one…) which goes on and on. An intense album with quite some variety in sound and mood.
