Iamthemorning – “The Bell” (2019)

KScope

Review by Warren Mayocchi

Occasionally a song or an album arrives which has an immediate impact on the listener. For me “The Bell” is one such production. On the first listening I was pleasantly surprised and continued to be pleased as I listened further and then again. The band comprises a core membership of Marjana Semkina (vocals) and Gleb Kolyadin (piano) with additional support from a variety of musicians when recording. With a piano/vocals duo there are many artists from which parallels could be drawn. At its simplest the pair are more than sufficient to drive a song in entirety. With the rapid movement in emotion possible with a piano under capable hands and the lilting folk vocals conjuring images with each exhale – this is certainly a pair with talent. The addition of other musicians therefore becomes a choice and is used to great effect on “The Bell“. Drums, strings, electric guitars, brass, acoustic guitar… I expect the list goes on. One moment a light drum beat behind the piano and vocal, the next everything explodes with the drama of expanded accompaniment. Here is an album with constant delights, “Sleeping Beauty” begins like a gothic fairytale a simple vocal and the furious subdued beat of fingers tapping impatiently on a table – “Here comes the candle, to light your bed / Here comes the chopper, to chop off your head” – it continues in a jazzy fashion as casual drumbeat, piano, and guitar join in. “Salute” and “Freak Show” are seven minute duration opuses shifting through dramatic moods and using several backing musicians. It is more than possible to sit captivated by the musical air, listening intently, though inattentive to other layers within the songs. At the lyrical level there is a definite darkness in the content, from “Black and Blue” consider the following: “But you painted the world black and blue, and you made me turn black and turn blue, should I thank you?” The band describe it thus, “all of the songs are fueled by human cruelty and pain caused by it. Cruelty and different ways that we cope with it and suffer from it is the central theme of the album“. There is a strong contrast between the lyrical theme and the delicate beauty presented through the music. The band describe themselves as fitting the genre of acoustic/chamber progressive. So it is fitting there are videos of live chamber recordings for “Six Feet” and “Ghost Of A Story“. These are worth watching to just to see how well the duo perform these two songs with minimal adornment. The album tracks do add elements, so watching the music video for one of the standout tracks from the album – “Song Of Psyche” – will give a better appreciation for what the entire album will be. “The Bell“, as portrayed on the album cover, was a device used to alert graveyard staff the person they had recently buried was still alive. There should be no chance this album will ever be buried, music such as this deserves to breathe forever.

Rating – 95/100

Tracklist:

1. Freak Show
2. Sleeping Beauty
3. Blue Sea
4. Black And Blue
5. Six Feet
6. Ghost Of A Story
7. Song Of Psyche
8. Lilies
9. Salute
10. The Bell

Line Up:

• Marjana Semkina – Vocals
• Gleb Kolyadin – Piano

Links:

Iamthemorning Official FB Page
Instagram
Twitter
Bandcamp