| The Soil & The Sun |
| Meridian |
The Soil & The Sun — Meridian
Ξº TSTS sami definovali styl jako čerstvý hábit, velmi obvyklý, dejme tomu spiritual/experimental/folk~rock, přesto se těmto písním stále daří držet fazonu a silný smysl pro rozmanitost.
Ξº The Soil & The Sun is corn~fed, Michigan~made, New Mexican Space Music, or Experiential Spiritual Orchestral Rock. Originating in 2008 as a two~piece band, the group has grown and matured into a seven~piece community of friends and musicians. Oboe, violin, guitars, accordion, percussion, piano, keys and vocals, cooperate to create complex harmonies, layered melodies, and driving rhythms. The careful orchestration and intentional instrumentation will speak to your soul.
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A.
Album release: August 19, 2014
Record Label: Audiotree Music
Duration: 72:02
Tracks:
01 Intro 0:53
02 Are You? 5:54
03 How Long 5:25
04 Push Push 3:32
05 Samyaza 7:23
06 World We Used to Know 7:55
07 Human/Machine 6:45
08 Leviathan 4:22
09 Sundar Singh 6:20
10 Lost Lovers 8:55
11 Oiketerion 10:01
12 The Physics of Immortality 4:37
Members:
Ξ Anton Dang — Bass
Ξ Chris Hainey — Percussion
Ξ Samantha Cooper — Violin
Ξ Jeffrey Niemeier — Violin
Ξ Fiona Dickinson — Cello
Ξ Micah Ling — Cello
Ξº Written and performed by the Soil & the Sun
Ξº Engineered by Rick Fritz and Patrick DeWitte
Ξº Produced by Rick Fritz and the Soil & the Sun
Ξº Executive Producer Michael Johnston
Ξº Artwork by Jeffrey Kraus
Reviewed by Chandler Fahr
Ξ Hailing from the gloomy streets of Grand Rapids Michigan, seven piece indie group The Soil and The SunReleased their astronomical debut LP Meridian last summer to little to no attention from the independent music press. The general ignorance of this release is even more tragic when considering the sheer magnetism of the grand baroque symphonies, the powerful distorted guitar layers, and the heavenly harmonies the band displays on this album. Self proclaimed “New Mexican Space Rockers”have appropriately labeled their music “Spiritual Experimental Folk~Rock” and have defined themselves a fresh habitual style, yet these songs still manage to hold a strong sense of diversity.
Ξ Meridian befittingly opens with a series of dreamy keyboards that echo through a hazy hypnotic mix and segues into it’s lead single “Are You?”which introduces the lush harmonies (reminiscent of the Fleet Foxes) that define the band’s sound. The album then takes a couple of sharp turns with the jazzy gospel chants of “How Long”to the heavily electro~pop influenced and auto-tuned “Push Push”, proving early on that The Soil and Sun aren’t afraid of taking chances and breaking the popular formula of indie rock. The full musical strength of the group is executed on the 7 minute epic of a center piece; “Samyaza”, a dark prog rock adventure that with its heavy guitar riffs, exotic beat, superb vocals, and accompanying orchestration demonstrates a much more musically mature side of the band. “World We Used to Know”then provides the perfect aftermath for the previous intensity, a simple, soft, almost ambient folk melody that occasionally builds up to a blissful electric chord almost acting as aftershocks of Samyaza.
Ξ Meridian’s latter half contains considerably less musical variation, but still validates the vitality of The Soil and The Sun, notable high points include the spooky psychedelic overtones of the paranoid “Leviathan”, The elegance of the Sgt. Pepper~esque baroque ballad “Sundar Singh”, and the aimless yet apt piano spurts during the grand finale of “Oiketerion”. The album ends with the noticeably stripped down “Physics of Immortality”that brings heart wrenching vocals and chamber piano together to build upon an optimistic elementary hook acting as a content closure to an adventurous album.
Ξ At over 70 minutes Meridian may seem like it overstays its welcome upon first listen, but one will be quick to recognize the purity and excitement The Soil and The Sun have achieved through their debut. :: http://kcscradio.com/
REVIEW
By Chris Powers
August 12, 2014 | 12:00pm
Ξ Meridian, the debut studio album from much buzzed~about act The Soil & The Sun out of Grand Rapids, Mich., arrives next week. On this release, the septet covers a lot of ground. From the almost orchestral backing vocals on “How Long” to the dynamic and unpredictable rhythms of “Leviathan,” the Soil & the Sun never seem to want to settle down, preferring to mesh competing sounds to craft an expansive collage.
Ξ “Meridian is about life and death, mystery, love, selfishness, God, technocracy, sorrow, the end of the world, and the fate of mankind,” songwriter Alex McGrath says. “We hope you find some value in it~listen closely.”
Ξ Produced by Rick Fritz (Peter Cetera, Beach Boys), Meridian displays all the youth and vigor of a proper debut LP, but also the maturity of a band with grand, calculated ambition. Clearly, the Soil & the Sun like to expand their horizons, so there’s little doubt that we can expect plenty more from the band. Stream Meridian in the player above before its release on Aug. 19 via Audiotree. :: http://www.pastemagazine.com/
Ξ Deeply rooted and far~reaching, The Soil & The Sun branches out to the very tip of the family tree that is modern folk music. On their expansive third album Meridian, the Grand Rapids ensemble pushes their self~described “experiential orchestral spiritual rock” to new harmonic heights, imploring listeners to absorb the album as a whole, while inundating the senses with layers of carefully arranged guitars, accordion, percussion, keys, oboe, violin and, of course, vocals.
Ξ From the almost orchestral backing vocals on “How Long” to the dynamic and unpredictable rhythms of “Leviathan,” the Soil & the Sun never seem to want to settle down, preferring to mesh competing sounds to craft an expansive collage.
Ξ Produced by Rick Fritz (Peter Cetera, Beach Boys), Meridian displays all the youth and vigor of a proper debut LP, but also the maturity of a band with grand, calculated ambition. Clearly, the Soil & the Sun like to expand their horizons, so there’s little doubt that we can expect plenty more from the band.
Ξ “Meridian is about life and death, mystery, love, selfishness, God, technocracy, sorrow, the end of the world, and the fate of mankind,” songwriter Alex McGrath says. “We hope you find some value in it~listen closely.”
Website: http://www.thesoilandthesun.com/
Bandcamp: https://thesoilthesun.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesoilthesun
Last.fm: http://www.last.fm/music/the+Soil+&+the+Sun
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesoilandthesun
Press: Ever Kipp, Tiny Human –
Agent: Stu Walker, The Agency Group –
____________________________________________________________
| The Soil & The Sun |
| Meridian |
Ξº TSTS sami definovali styl jako čerstvý hábit, velmi obvyklý, dejme tomu spiritual/experimental/folk~rock, přesto se těmto písním stále daří držet fazonu a silný smysl pro rozmanitost.
Ξº The Soil & The Sun is corn~fed, Michigan~made, New Mexican Space Music, or Experiential Spiritual Orchestral Rock. Originating in 2008 as a two~piece band, the group has grown and matured into a seven~piece community of friends and musicians. Oboe, violin, guitars, accordion, percussion, piano, keys and vocals, cooperate to create complex harmonies, layered melodies, and driving rhythms. The careful orchestration and intentional instrumentation will speak to your soul.
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A.
Album release: August 19, 2014
Record Label: Audiotree Music
Duration: 72:02
Tracks:
01 Intro 0:53
02 Are You? 5:54
03 How Long 5:25
04 Push Push 3:32
05 Samyaza 7:23
06 World We Used to Know 7:55
07 Human/Machine 6:45
08 Leviathan 4:22
09 Sundar Singh 6:20
10 Lost Lovers 8:55
11 Oiketerion 10:01
12 The Physics of Immortality 4:37
Members:
Ξ Anton Dang — Bass
Ξ Chris Hainey — Percussion
Ξ Samantha Cooper — Violin
Ξ Jeffrey Niemeier — Violin
Ξ Fiona Dickinson — Cello
Ξ Micah Ling — Cello
Ξº Written and performed by the Soil & the Sun
Ξº Engineered by Rick Fritz and Patrick DeWitte
Ξº Produced by Rick Fritz and the Soil & the Sun
Ξº Executive Producer Michael Johnston
Ξº Artwork by Jeffrey Kraus
Reviewed by Chandler Fahr
Ξ Hailing from the gloomy streets of Grand Rapids Michigan, seven piece indie group The Soil and The SunReleased their astronomical debut LP Meridian last summer to little to no attention from the independent music press. The general ignorance of this release is even more tragic when considering the sheer magnetism of the grand baroque symphonies, the powerful distorted guitar layers, and the heavenly harmonies the band displays on this album. Self proclaimed “New Mexican Space Rockers”have appropriately labeled their music “Spiritual Experimental Folk~Rock” and have defined themselves a fresh habitual style, yet these songs still manage to hold a strong sense of diversity.
Ξ Meridian befittingly opens with a series of dreamy keyboards that echo through a hazy hypnotic mix and segues into it’s lead single “Are You?”which introduces the lush harmonies (reminiscent of the Fleet Foxes) that define the band’s sound. The album then takes a couple of sharp turns with the jazzy gospel chants of “How Long”to the heavily electro~pop influenced and auto-tuned “Push Push”, proving early on that The Soil and Sun aren’t afraid of taking chances and breaking the popular formula of indie rock. The full musical strength of the group is executed on the 7 minute epic of a center piece; “Samyaza”, a dark prog rock adventure that with its heavy guitar riffs, exotic beat, superb vocals, and accompanying orchestration demonstrates a much more musically mature side of the band. “World We Used to Know”then provides the perfect aftermath for the previous intensity, a simple, soft, almost ambient folk melody that occasionally builds up to a blissful electric chord almost acting as aftershocks of Samyaza.
Ξ Meridian’s latter half contains considerably less musical variation, but still validates the vitality of The Soil and The Sun, notable high points include the spooky psychedelic overtones of the paranoid “Leviathan”, The elegance of the Sgt. Pepper~esque baroque ballad “Sundar Singh”, and the aimless yet apt piano spurts during the grand finale of “Oiketerion”. The album ends with the noticeably stripped down “Physics of Immortality”that brings heart wrenching vocals and chamber piano together to build upon an optimistic elementary hook acting as a content closure to an adventurous album.
Ξ At over 70 minutes Meridian may seem like it overstays its welcome upon first listen, but one will be quick to recognize the purity and excitement The Soil and The Sun have achieved through their debut. :: http://kcscradio.com/
REVIEW
By Chris Powers
August 12, 2014 | 12:00pm
Ξ Meridian, the debut studio album from much buzzed~about act The Soil & The Sun out of Grand Rapids, Mich., arrives next week. On this release, the septet covers a lot of ground. From the almost orchestral backing vocals on “How Long” to the dynamic and unpredictable rhythms of “Leviathan,” the Soil & the Sun never seem to want to settle down, preferring to mesh competing sounds to craft an expansive collage.
Ξ “Meridian is about life and death, mystery, love, selfishness, God, technocracy, sorrow, the end of the world, and the fate of mankind,” songwriter Alex McGrath says. “We hope you find some value in it~listen closely.”
Ξ Produced by Rick Fritz (Peter Cetera, Beach Boys), Meridian displays all the youth and vigor of a proper debut LP, but also the maturity of a band with grand, calculated ambition. Clearly, the Soil & the Sun like to expand their horizons, so there’s little doubt that we can expect plenty more from the band. Stream Meridian in the player above before its release on Aug. 19 via Audiotree. :: http://www.pastemagazine.com/
Ξ Deeply rooted and far~reaching, The Soil & The Sun branches out to the very tip of the family tree that is modern folk music. On their expansive third album Meridian, the Grand Rapids ensemble pushes their self~described “experiential orchestral spiritual rock” to new harmonic heights, imploring listeners to absorb the album as a whole, while inundating the senses with layers of carefully arranged guitars, accordion, percussion, keys, oboe, violin and, of course, vocals.
Ξ From the almost orchestral backing vocals on “How Long” to the dynamic and unpredictable rhythms of “Leviathan,” the Soil & the Sun never seem to want to settle down, preferring to mesh competing sounds to craft an expansive collage.
Ξ Produced by Rick Fritz (Peter Cetera, Beach Boys), Meridian displays all the youth and vigor of a proper debut LP, but also the maturity of a band with grand, calculated ambition. Clearly, the Soil & the Sun like to expand their horizons, so there’s little doubt that we can expect plenty more from the band.
Ξ “Meridian is about life and death, mystery, love, selfishness, God, technocracy, sorrow, the end of the world, and the fate of mankind,” songwriter Alex McGrath says. “We hope you find some value in it~listen closely.”
Website: http://www.thesoilandthesun.com/
Bandcamp: https://thesoilthesun.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesoilthesun
Last.fm: http://www.last.fm/music/the+Soil+&+the+Sun
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesoilandthesun
Press: Ever Kipp, Tiny Human –
Agent: Stu Walker, The Agency Group –
____________________________________________________________