| Sarah Neufeld |
| The Ridge (26 February 2016) |
Sarah Neufeld — The Ridge (26 February 2016) 
Location: Montréal, Québec, Canada
Album release: 26 February 2016
Reciord Label: SN Music Inc.
Duration: 43:10
Tracks:
1 The Ridge 8:02
2 We’ve Got a Lot 3:35
3 They All Came Down 1:31
4 The Glow 7:00
5 Chase the Bright and Burning 4:53
6 A Long Awaited Scar 9:03
7 From Our Animal 5:26
8 Where the Light Comes In 3:40
Product Description
ζθ Sarah Neufeld is a violinist and composer based in Montréal, Canada. Best known as a member of Arcade Fire, she is also a founding member of the acclaimed contemporary instrumental ensemble Bell Orchestre, and most recently as half of an exciting new duo with renowned saxophonist Colin Stetson. Neufeld counts Bela Bartok, Steve Reich, Iva Bittova and Arthur Russell among the formative influences for her solo work, in tandem with an ear for the textures and sensibilities of contemporary electro-acoustic, avant–folk and indie rock music. In 2013 Sarah Neufeld released her debut album ‘Hero Brother’ on Montreal’s Constellation Records (home of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Colin Stetson), which was produced by Nils Frahm. ‘The Ridge’, Neufeld’s second solo album, features performances and production from the likes of Colin Stetson, Tim Hecker and Arcade Fire’s Jeremy Gara on drums and synth.
Review
By Erik Thompson / 24 FEBRUARY 2016, 10:50 GMT / Score: 8
°¬° Violinist/composer Sarah Neufeld has brought her stylish sonic undertones to the music of Arcade Fire since the band’s Neon Bible days. But on her solo records, 2013’s Hero Brother and her brand new collection, The Ridge, Neufeld’s vibrant, original artistic voice is able to shine brightly, unencumbered by either the indie fame or industry scrutiny of her other pursuit.
°¬° The eight expansive, intoxicating new songs on The Ridge not only highlight Neufeld’s delicate, nimble violin work and studied compositions, but also her ethereal vocals, which add another textured layer to the diaphanous material. The album is imbued with plaintive emotions augmented by the aching beauty emanating from the violin strings, while also allowing plenty of room for the listener to evocatively linger and get lost in their own dreamy abstractions.
°¬° Neufeld creates a stylish, cinematic tension that courses through these buoyant numbers, injecting the tracks with her bold, undulating violin tones, while occasionally backed by the rhythmic swing of Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara. The sprawling soundscapes that Neufeld generates are immersive and rich, and when her vocals arrive out of the ether they add to the angelic quality of the music itself.
°¬° The title track and “We’ve Got A Lot” both churn with a resplendent tonal elegance and a thoroughly modern, unconventional pulse, while the plucked, staccato violin of “The Glow” gradually gives way to rich atmospherics that reinforces the illumination hinted at in the title. To close, the elegiac, faintly Scottish tones of “Where the Light Comes In” bring the album to a graceful, poignant conclusion.
°¬° The Ridge continuously strikes a fine balance between the heady grandeur of classical music and the restless creative exploration of the current indie scene, striking a similar resonant chord with music fans who either came across the album due to their interest in Arcade Fire or Mozart. °¬° http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/
Website: http://sarahneufeldmusic.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahkneufeld
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sarahkneufeld
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sarah-Neufeld-582448421769587/
ABOUT
°¬° Sarah Neufeld is a violinist and composer based in Montréal, Canada. Best known as a member of Arcade Fire, she is also a founding member of the acclaimed contemporary instrumental ensemble Bell Orchestre, and most recently as half of an exciting new duo with renowned saxophonist Colin Stetson.
°¬° Neufeld began developing pieces for solo violin in a formal sense in 2011, though she has made improvisation and solo composition part of her process and practice since first picking up the instrument at a young age. Neufeld counts Béla Bartók, Steve Reich, Iva Bittová and Arthur Russell among the formative influences for her solo work, in tandem with an ear for the textures and sensibilities of contemporary electro–acoustic, avant–folk and indie rock music.
°¬° Neufeld’s debut solo album Hero Brother, released August 20/2013 on Constellation Records, indeed channels all of the above, flowing through shifting atmospheres and oscillating between restrained, stately ambience, emotive études, and raw kinetic energy. Small touches of wordless vocalisation, harmonium and piano supplant the violin in a few places. The album was recorded in Berlin by pianist and producer Nils Frahm, with Neufeld’s performances captured in a number of locations with site–specific acoustics, including an abandoned geodesic dome.
°¬° Neufeld is currently preparing for the release of her second full length album, The Ridge, out February 26th, 2016. This new body of work sees Neufeld moving away from Hero Brother’s classical minimalism and sepulchral ambience, and into the world of rhythmic pop minimalism. The Ridge employs more emphasis on vocalizations than Neufeld's previous works; the interplay between Neufeld’s voice and violin has become strongly integrated and narrative. The album also features Arcade Fire’s Jeremy Gara on drums, adding greater layers to the compositions, creating an intense, dynamic atmosphere, and a captivating listen from start to finish. 
°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°♠°¬°
| Sarah Neufeld |
| The Ridge (26 February 2016) |
Album release: 26 February 2016
Reciord Label: SN Music Inc.
Duration: 43:10
Tracks:
1 The Ridge 8:02
2 We’ve Got a Lot 3:35
3 They All Came Down 1:31
4 The Glow 7:00
5 Chase the Bright and Burning 4:53
6 A Long Awaited Scar 9:03
7 From Our Animal 5:26
8 Where the Light Comes In 3:40
ζθ Sarah Neufeld is a violinist and composer based in Montréal, Canada. Best known as a member of Arcade Fire, she is also a founding member of the acclaimed contemporary instrumental ensemble Bell Orchestre, and most recently as half of an exciting new duo with renowned saxophonist Colin Stetson. Neufeld counts Bela Bartok, Steve Reich, Iva Bittova and Arthur Russell among the formative influences for her solo work, in tandem with an ear for the textures and sensibilities of contemporary electro-acoustic, avant–folk and indie rock music. In 2013 Sarah Neufeld released her debut album ‘Hero Brother’ on Montreal’s Constellation Records (home of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Colin Stetson), which was produced by Nils Frahm. ‘The Ridge’, Neufeld’s second solo album, features performances and production from the likes of Colin Stetson, Tim Hecker and Arcade Fire’s Jeremy Gara on drums and synth.
By Erik Thompson / 24 FEBRUARY 2016, 10:50 GMT / Score: 8
°¬° Violinist/composer Sarah Neufeld has brought her stylish sonic undertones to the music of Arcade Fire since the band’s Neon Bible days. But on her solo records, 2013’s Hero Brother and her brand new collection, The Ridge, Neufeld’s vibrant, original artistic voice is able to shine brightly, unencumbered by either the indie fame or industry scrutiny of her other pursuit.
°¬° The eight expansive, intoxicating new songs on The Ridge not only highlight Neufeld’s delicate, nimble violin work and studied compositions, but also her ethereal vocals, which add another textured layer to the diaphanous material. The album is imbued with plaintive emotions augmented by the aching beauty emanating from the violin strings, while also allowing plenty of room for the listener to evocatively linger and get lost in their own dreamy abstractions.
°¬° Neufeld creates a stylish, cinematic tension that courses through these buoyant numbers, injecting the tracks with her bold, undulating violin tones, while occasionally backed by the rhythmic swing of Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara. The sprawling soundscapes that Neufeld generates are immersive and rich, and when her vocals arrive out of the ether they add to the angelic quality of the music itself.
°¬° The title track and “We’ve Got A Lot” both churn with a resplendent tonal elegance and a thoroughly modern, unconventional pulse, while the plucked, staccato violin of “The Glow” gradually gives way to rich atmospherics that reinforces the illumination hinted at in the title. To close, the elegiac, faintly Scottish tones of “Where the Light Comes In” bring the album to a graceful, poignant conclusion.
°¬° The Ridge continuously strikes a fine balance between the heady grandeur of classical music and the restless creative exploration of the current indie scene, striking a similar resonant chord with music fans who either came across the album due to their interest in Arcade Fire or Mozart. °¬° http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/
Website: http://sarahneufeldmusic.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahkneufeld
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sarahkneufeld
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sarah-Neufeld-582448421769587/
ABOUT
°¬° Sarah Neufeld is a violinist and composer based in Montréal, Canada. Best known as a member of Arcade Fire, she is also a founding member of the acclaimed contemporary instrumental ensemble Bell Orchestre, and most recently as half of an exciting new duo with renowned saxophonist Colin Stetson.
°¬° Neufeld began developing pieces for solo violin in a formal sense in 2011, though she has made improvisation and solo composition part of her process and practice since first picking up the instrument at a young age. Neufeld counts Béla Bartók, Steve Reich, Iva Bittová and Arthur Russell among the formative influences for her solo work, in tandem with an ear for the textures and sensibilities of contemporary electro–acoustic, avant–folk and indie rock music.
°¬° Neufeld’s debut solo album Hero Brother, released August 20/2013 on Constellation Records, indeed channels all of the above, flowing through shifting atmospheres and oscillating between restrained, stately ambience, emotive études, and raw kinetic energy. Small touches of wordless vocalisation, harmonium and piano supplant the violin in a few places. The album was recorded in Berlin by pianist and producer Nils Frahm, with Neufeld’s performances captured in a number of locations with site–specific acoustics, including an abandoned geodesic dome.
°¬° Neufeld is currently preparing for the release of her second full length album, The Ridge, out February 26th, 2016. This new body of work sees Neufeld moving away from Hero Brother’s classical minimalism and sepulchral ambience, and into the world of rhythmic pop minimalism. The Ridge employs more emphasis on vocalizations than Neufeld's previous works; the interplay between Neufeld’s voice and violin has become strongly integrated and narrative. The album also features Arcade Fire’s Jeremy Gara on drums, adding greater layers to the compositions, creating an intense, dynamic atmosphere, and a captivating listen from start to finish.