Release Title: Bent Hemlock
Catalogue Number: CAM070CD
Format: CD
Length: 13 tracks, 51:31 mins
Release Date: 04 Feb 05
(US$15.00 shipped anywhere)
Timing and happenstance play a significant role on this album; during the time of its recording, the band found themselves between studios and set up shop instead in the living room of bassist Dave Onnen (who engineered the proceedings) and percussionist Matt Zaun. The environment was ideal for trying out the acoustic format, and pushed the participants in new directions in other ways as well. Sean Connaughty's vocal style has mutated into something unique, and his prowess as a lyricist is only emphasized as his mind and voice play a variety of characters varying in age and mental/emotional stability. "Hail" finds him full of vitriol, while "Diagram" shows its protagonist to be a much more fragile and vulnerable figure. The "90-year-old-man" style vocal delivery evidenced in "The Visionary Kind" is perfectly at home with the song's humidity and steaming-swamp vibe, replete with a languid fuzz-guitar lead from fellow guitarist and vocalist Erik Wivinus.
When Erik takes the helm in the songwriting department, things shift to a somewhat different but still complementary style, varying from a frantic, intricate urgency with a strong progressive-folk influence (the 7-minute epic "Portal" being a prime example, with a strong middle break that not only features a ripping space-acid lead from Connaughty, but showcases the insane precision inherent in the rhythm section of Onnen and Zaun) to imagery from lifelong recurring dreams (the fast-paced "Ascension") and on into the album's opener; the chilling, Lovecraftian seafarer's warning entitled "Galleon," which features a bracing vocal performance by 11-year-old chanteuse Madeline Westby.
Other guests feature on the album as well, playing cello, electric violin and percussion. Original drummer Bryce Kastning contributes to two of the albums tracks, both as a percussionist and by recording the initial parts of those tracks at his home studio. Guest strings are beautifully played by Margaret Hegg and Jane Anfinson. This is certainly a departure of sorts for the band, but it should not be seen as a turning point; just a shift of emphasis and an insight into another side of these musicians. Space rock and psychedelic improvisation still figure prominently in the band's live sets, and doubtless the electricity will come back to recorded efforts in the future. For now, enjoy the respite and explore the new terrain. Inhabiting areas lush and stark, disturbing and revelatory, totally freeform and thoughtfully considered in near-equal measure, these recordings show a versatile band using all the tools in their arsenal in pursuit of new expression, and coming out the better for it. Change staves off stagnation, and doubtless this fresh approach will inform and invigorate future efforts, whatever those efforts may be.
The cover art: A simple glance at guitarist/vocalist Sean Connaughty's cover painting can yield some insight into the new approaches and changes of emphasis Salamander delve into on their latest offering, "Bent Hemlock." Over the course of their last few releases, Connaughty's paintings have slowly and reductively evolved, beginning with the lush colours and surreal figurative themes featured on earlier works, going on into the less obvious intuitive figures and reduced colour schemes shown on the cover of "Birds Of Appetite," and finally reaching a resolution of sorts here. Connaughty's colour palate has finally arrived at a stark, near-complete black-and white approach, using mostly impressions of plants (in this case, Bent Hemlock itself, the namesake of both the album and the painting) and only the slightest hints at colour variations. Likewise, the band themselves seem to have followed suit this time around, returning to terra firma to concentrate on a sparer, acoustically-centred approach that showcases not only their latent songwriting and compositional skills, but their range as a musical unit in general.
Lyrics
CAM008CD
- Salamander - Red Ampersand
CAM017CD
- Salamander - Red Mantra
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