Ensemble Pearl
Released on March 19th through Drag City
The nice thing about music, is that it's entirely subjective. One man's trash is another man's gold. You can bitch and argue all you want among each other and you're all still wrong. Or right. If you didn't have something to hate, you wouldn't have something to like. My point being, Ensemble Pearl's debut album is entirely subjective. And I believe that's what they had in mind.
Consisting of Atsuo (Boris), Michio Kurihara (occasionally Boris, Ghost), Bill Herzog (himself) and Stephen O'Malley (Sunn O))), Burning Witch, Khanate, Lotus Eaters etc.), this album was and is bound to be immense. Immense meaning it'll take a few spins to get your footing. Six tracks that beg to be not only heard, but felt. Guitar notes become howling wind. Cymbals to flashes of lightning. All while you're perched on a mountainside view, taking it all in. Musicians Timb Harris and Eyvind Kang add hints of mandolin and violin that become the water from the sky, and rivers moving below.
If you're a fan of any of the four musicians that comprise this effort then you know this is entirely worth a listen. If not, I encourage you to sit down and give this piece of art a chance. Don't just listen or hear it, feel it. I can't pick a personal favorite track off this album. Move one brush stroke from the Mona Lisa and she's just not the same; get my drift? But then again, that's entirely up to you.
Ensemble Pearl will be available on 2xLp/CD/digital via Drag City on March 18th. Don't forget to pick it up.
