No.5213
GAJOOB Review by Bryan Baker:
“Does Spring Hide Its Joy” is an ambitious and profound project by Kali Malone, featuring the talents of Stephen O’Malley and Lucy Railton. Released by Ideologic Organ as a triple LP set, a three-hour triple CD, and across all digital formats, this album is an immersive journey through an evocative soundscape.
The album is composed of nine tracks, each a different version of the hauntingly beautiful “Does Spring Hide Its Joy”. The music is a study in harmonics and non-linear composition, with a focus on just intonation and beating interference patterns. Malone’s experience with pipe organ tuning, harmonic theory, and long durational composition are evident throughout the album.
Each track unfolds like a slow-motion sonic ballet. Malone’s use of tuned sine wave oscillators, combined with O’Malley’s electric guitar and Railton’s cello, creates a rich and layered soundscape. The music ebbs and flows, with subtle shifts in harmony that challenge the listener’s perception of stasis and movement.
The collaborative approach is evident in the way the music evolves. While the sonic palette is distinctly Malone’s, she has composed specifically for O’Malley and Railton, providing a framework for interpretation and non-hierarchical movement. The result is a unity of sound where the boundaries between the instruments become blurred.
The album was created during the early days of the pandemic, and this context adds a layer of depth to the music. As Malone herself describes, “Playing this music for hours on end was a profound way to digest the countless life transitions and hold time together.”
The album resonates with a sense of spiritual effervescence. It’s like listening to mountaintop chants or stroking a stringed instrument, with droning harmonics that dance and shimmer. “Does Spring Hide Its Joy” is a meditation on time, change, and the power of music to evoke and transform.
It’s a testament to Kali Malone’s talent as a composer and her ability to create music that resonates on a deeply emotional level. It’s an album that invites you to lose yourself in its sound and to find joy in its complexities.
Media: Digital, CD.
Visit Kali Malone
Bandcamp URL: https://kalimalone.bandcamp.com/album/does-spring-hide-its-joy
