[rating=7.00]
When Dave Lamb of Brown Bird passed away in 2014, the loss felt so great and the future of the band felt so uncertain. Lamb’s bandmate and wife Morgan Eve Swain, finding herself a young widow, had to reassess and grieve. Brown Bird was a prominent fixture not just in the Providence, Rhode Island music scene, but in the realm of folk music as a whole. The duo created some of the most hauntingly beautiful and deeply poetic music you’ll ever hear. So when Swain began to get to work on the next phase of her journey as a singer-songwriter and incredibly talented musician, she carried that legacy with her to bring something new to life: The Huntress and the Holder of Hands. Swain’s new outfit is named for lyrics written by Lamb in tribute to her, and is made up of James Maple, Rachel Blumberg, Spencer Swain, Liz Isenberg, and Emily Dix Thomas, with a guest appearance by Deer Tick’s Ian O’Neil. It is, as Brown Bird’s was, haunting and intensely beautiful.
Their debut record Avalon is not for the faint of heart. It is dense and full of dark corners that beg for exploratory listening. Swain’s harmonies with Isenberg, Thomas and Emily Shaw are atmospheric and rich, and the instrumental arrangements are full and layered. Lyrically, Swain does not shy away from confronting the hardships she’s experienced, and we’re all the better for her bold and often intimate honesty. “Borealis” examines the ways in which the ones we love become a part of us, through the nature surrounding us and within our own bodies. Alongside sharp fiddle and an ominous guitar melody, Swain sings of the physical manifestation of grief: “You’re the lines in my brow/You’re the turning seasons/You’re the breath in my mouth.” It’s heavy and dark, but when the pace suddenly kicks up, Swain and her band are injecting a life force that sweeps us up like a strong gust of wind.
On “Call to Arms” Swain is a warrior as she literally sings “fear not,” and on “My Kingdom” she realizes the power within her as she picks up the pieces from her loss. The ups and downs of her emotions and the wavering motivation to carry on does not break her, even when it seems like it might. “I’m stronger than I seem,” she sings, though she’s practically chanting in her angelic, hushed voice. Avalon is several shades darker than anything Brown Bird did, but there’s no use comparing the two acts. Swain is truly embarking on something new and different with The Huntress. She’s armed and fierce and the songs are a robust reflection of that.
One Response
Super article for a wonderful lp thank you