My sweet Jesus! Who would have thought that, in this lucky-number-7 year of the millennium, Australia would be a breeding ground for such talented and diverse musical acts? Certainly not I. Oh, no, dear reader; never in this or any other thousand year period would I have made the call that 2 of my 5 favorite, living, artists de' musique would hail from the land of kangaroos, koala bears, eucalyptus trees, Paul Hogan, Yahoo Serious, Steve Irwin, and Men at Work. Yet, 'tis the case. And further from each other on the musical spectrum could no two acts be.
On the one hand, Catherine Duc is a one-woman band. Well, more like a one-woman show as she is an award winning (too many to list here; see bottom of page for a full list) composer and multi-instrumentalist who combines the ethereal soundscapes of Celtic, electronica, world and ambient music to absolute perfection. On the other hand we have WolfMother; in my opinion, the greatest thing to happen to rock-n-roll since the White Stripes. Embodying everything that was good and right about the heavier, bluesier side of rock-n-roll in it's golden era of the late 1960's to about 1975 (right before the disco invasion) and complimenting that with their own incredible song-writing, D&D-on-LSD lyrics and phenomenal live shows, WolfMother is everything that rock-n-roll should be but hasn't been in too many years to count. Hence, this will be a two-part review. Part 1 (what you're reading here) will be a review of Catherine Duc's heady "Visions and Dreams", then next week I will review WolfMother's self-titled, epic, debut.
Catherine Duc's inaugural offering, "Visions and Dreams", serves as the soundtrack of a serene journey through distant, yet overlapping, times and space. Each song is it's own destination on this delightful sonic trip. Like an amazing storyteller who structures their tales with an open-endedness that allows the reader to come to their own, either preamble or, conclusion, this talented songstress does the same with her music. Keeping simple and understated rhythms as the canvas on which to paint with a myriad of colors, i.e.: instruments, she does so, but with a taste and affability that has to be difficult to harness with the amount of talent that she possesses. It's been said, especially in jazz circles, that the most important notes are the silent ones or those which aren't played and Ms. Duc follows that credo deftly by playing (or not playing, as it were) the appropriate notes at the appropriate times. Sure, she could probably jam incessantly over the foundations of her songs with the complex virtuosity that is hers, however, she keeps it simple and tasteful, forcing the listener to hear music that, in reality, may or may not be there. Thus, forcing the listener to draw their own conclusions to her "stories". The sojourn begins with the welcoming, yet haunting, "Essence of Dreams". Lured in by a delicate smattering of exotic tones, we are invited to embark on an astral safari. The song's mellow beat of taiko drums is textured with chimes, pan flute and dulcimer, among other instruments of tranquility. Subtlety is also one of Ms. Duc's strengths as a composer, as a brief, clandestine chord change gives the song a momentary off-balance feel that, in turn, let's the listener know that they are departing for an entirely different realm.
"Dancing In The Mist", the album's second track, is beatified by the hypnotizing melodies of a harp sprinkled wonderfully over strong and steady electronic beats. Ms. Duc seems to also be a fan, or at least have been exposed to the music, of Cirque' du Soleil, as this particular song could have come right out of any one of their otherworldly exhibitions of eye-popping chicanery. Interestingly enough, the break riff has a hint of the Doors' "Spanish Caravan"; whether intentional or not, it sounds natural and, of course fits perfectly.
After dancing in the mist, the odyssey moves on to "Evocation". Here, a melodic acoustic guitar and piano converse above the intermittent crashing of percussion and an ambient chorale. The genius of this instrumental troubadour is further exemplified by the atonal guitar and piano chords she throws in near the end, giving the feel that the two "voices" have gone from a pleasant conversation to, possibly, a musical disagreement of sorts which, if I'm not mistaken, is resolved by the song's conclusion.
For some inexplicable reason (possibly the pain killers?!?!?), when listening to the next song, "One Autumn Day", I flashed that this Celtic-rooted number is the perfect backdrop for a rap. Okay, okay, stop cursing my family and I and, please, dear reader, hear me out. It's the first song on "V & D" that you want to put vocals over, which, by no means, is a bad thing. It may be the inclusion of the poppy bass and drum infused beat or, quite as likely, the perfect structure of the song. Whatever it is, there's definitely something there that causes the tune to beg for some new-age-hip-hop vocals. But, Ms. Duc keeps the album pure and, again, leaves the listener to come up with their own conclusion.......or their own rap, if they so desire.
The intrepid aural-traveler exits the Land of Celtic Hip-Hop and lands in the "Secret Sanctuary". Basically a meditative reflection, it shines with the use of Bolivian Flute, South American percussion and ambient keyboards. This calming piece is a resting place of sorts as it sits in the middle of the album and leads to the "Heart of Andalucia".
"...Andalucia" sounds, to me, like what a desert on Mars might sound like...if that's even possible to convey as I really have no idea what that would sound like (well, this song, i guess!). The double guitar, flute and castanets lend to the Latin flavor of the song, recalling Andalucia's Spanish locale. However, along with the R & B flavored "Midsummer Twilight" and the Arabian, Cirque du Soleil-like, tribal rhythms of "Incense" that follow it, "Heart of Andalucia" is just a quick pass before the proverbial "cleansing of the soul" at the "Rivulet".
In "Rivulet", the ancient orient is conjured up through the exquisite intertwining melodies of violin, flute and strings and more traditional instruments such as koto (a traditional Japanese stringed instrument derived from Chinese zithers), shamisen (means, literally, "three taste strings" and is a traditional Japanese, three-stringed musical instrument), and temple gong. Just as it's namesake, the song flows along peacefully, gently guiding the listener toward the end of this musical pilgrimage.
The final destination of "Visions and Dreams" is "In the Light of Day". Aptly titled, the arrangement of orchestral percussion and strings give the song it's triumphant feel as well as effortlessly exuding images of a glorious sunrise. One that bathes the listener in an elegance that permeates the entire album and eases the listener back to reality after such a blissful ride.
After repeatedly immersing myself, by choice, in the delectable stylings of this new-age chanteuse, it's not difficult to fathom her ability to bring this type of music into a brighter, mainstream light, like Enya did with "Orinoco Flow" in 1988 or as Enigma has done, though on a much smaller scale, for the past 17 years. Because, god knows, man, that in these dreadfully uncertain times, if the world were able to find even the slightest glimmer of the infinitely encouraging solace that this music provides, chances are, it would be a much better place for it.
As promised, for a full listing of awards won by Catherine, please see below. And for any (and all) information on Ms. Duc, please visit her web site at http://www.catherineduc.com/.
Awards: