Album Notes
This is an old favorite of mine and I haven't listened straight through in years. I'm a fan of freak folk and this was a core album in my discovery of the genre when I was a teenager. The blending of strange synthetic sounds next to such a traditional folk is amazing really shining on tracks like "You are the Blood" and "Industry and Snow". The thing I love most though are the times where it feels like you're sitting in the middle of the room with everyone. There's no polish on this. All of it's imperfections and natural sounds like creaking floorboards and chatter push that live community feeling.
There are times where I wish I understood the album better. While researching this project I learned that there was supposed to be a novel to accompany it that never got released. I can really see how this could have an accompanying external story. Maybe some of the low points I experienced during my listen would've made sense in that context, tracks like "Cathedral 3 (Make Us New)", "Cathedral 4 (The Unbreaking Branch and Song)" and "No Light to Be Found (Fare Tee Faith, The Path Is Yours)". Even the track titles sound like they may allude to more beyond just the music.
Anyway, it's undeniable that this album shaped some of my core musical identity and it will always have a special place in my heart as it's already earned repeat listens throughout the past 15 years of my life.
Track Notes
click a bar to jump to track
Cathedral 2 (Your Feet on the Floor Sounding Like the Rain)
Just to Break Free from a Hundred Families
Industry and Snow
You Are the Blood
No Light to Be Found (Fare Tee Faith, The Path Is Yours)
Three Days, Four Nights
As You Do
Cathedral 3 (Make Us New)
The Smallest Bones
We Are the Wreckage
Cathedral 4 (The Unbreaking Branch and Song)
1Cathedral 2 (Your Feet on the Floor Sounding Like the Rain) Something about it always makes me want to contort hearing the horn in the beginning. I love it. It feel like melting away. I've always felt possessed by this song. It really takes its time.
2Just to Break Free from a Hundred Families This little handover is cool, It makes me feel excited for what's after it.
I love how imperfect everything is. Seriously feels like I am in the room with these musicians. Feels like family. Build up for that guitar riff always gives me goosebumps because I know that amazing ending is coming.
Love the transition. Brilliant. Feels like I fell and crashed somwhere new. Instruments really sing here. Longtime favorite of mine. I feel enchanted. The end with all the clattering and clanking is especially fun.
5No Light to Be Found (Fare Tee Faith, The Path Is Yours) I usually skip this song. It's so long and unchanging. Even though it pulls me in at first and I like the melody, I get bored very fast.
It's perfect. Pacing is interesting and it's full of emotion. March off at the end with the drums, love it.
This has always felt like such a pretty, light, love song. Reminds me of "Anyone Else But You" by The Moldy Peaches. Sweet, simple, tender. Sometimes that's all it takes.
8Cathedral 3 (Make Us New) I don't like this little bit. Maybe it's just a quick transition but I really think the album could've done without it.
Haunting. I do feel like I'm in a dark forest or something like that. It's a bit too drawn out and sleepy for me to fully enjoy it.
Those instrument ladders or whatever they are towards the end of the track are really special. The way the song builds and merges into one big thing is so nice. Been a long time favorite.
11Cathedral 4 (The Unbreaking Branch and Song) I wish I understood more of these Cathedral concepts because I also didn't quite enjoy Cathedral 3. They just sound so out of place. I kind of shrug it off.
