In the Wind of Night, Hard-Fallen Incantations Whisper [CD]

Sirom - In the Wind of Night, Hard-Fallen Incantations Whisper [CD]

The Slovenian avant-folk trio Sirom are back with a sonically and thematically expansive fifth album; a thrilling follow-up to their widely praised 2022 release The Liquified Throne of Simplicity (GB 120CD/LP). Navigating almost two dozen instruments (some of which they've handcrafted), and hypnotic compositions that often exceed ten minutes in length, Ana Kravanja, Iztok Koren, and Samo Kutin court patient, deep-dive listeners via intricately woven atmospheres, rhythms and sonics. In the Wind of Night, Hard-Fallen Incantations Whisper is arguably the sharpest evocation yet of the group's highly collective music process, enveloping rustic melodic folklore, outernational textures, non-linear song structures and dissonance, and a buzzing ambiance that can at times feel like an ecstatic ritual. Few experimental ensembles from the last decade have created an ouevre as singular and unmistakable as that of this far-sighted trio from the disparate landscapes of Slovenia. Sirom truly sounds like no one else. The band are more melodic and accessible here than they have ever been. The insistent grooves and trademark texture are still present, but there's a new-found sense of linearity that largely replaces the stacks of sound and detailed collages that have characterized their work to date. There is suddenly more air, allowing a string of sublime melodies, in "Curls Upon the Neck, Ribs Upon the Mountain" and "Hope in an All-Sufficient Space of Calm" in particular, to flourish. Everyone's still speaking, just not at the same time, but the drama level remains high. The resulting sense of space, of emergence and arrival, is certainly something a Tim Hecker or indeed Park Jiha fan would instantly recognize. This is as close as Sirom have ever got to a state-of-the-world, state-of-their-lives record. "We don't want to play something that sounds like it already exists," said Samo, and they still don't. File this under contemporary classical, imaginary folk or rural underground, file it under Slovenian, file it under anything you want. People will find this wonderful album regardless. Or perhaps, more probably, it will find them. 01. Between the Fingers the Drops of Tomorrow's Dawn (16:05)_x000D_ 02. Curls Upon the Neck, Ribs Upon the Mountain (14:29)_x000D_ 03. No One's Footsteps Deep in the Beat of a Butterfly's Wings (3:14)_x000D_ 04. Tiny Dewdrop Explosions Crackling Delightfully (11:53)_x000D_ 05. Hope in an All-Sufficient Space of Calm (3:45)_x000D_ 06. The Hangman's Shadow Fifteen Years On (18:57)_x000D_ 07. For You, This Eve, the Wolves Will Be Enchantingly Forsaken (5:52)