Arc Iris returns to Philly this Wednesday, at Boot & Saddle with friends Superhuman Happiness and Birdie Busch. To catch you up to speed, here's a little review of Moon Saloon to get you excited about the show.
If a well crafted album is meant to be a journey and an exploration, Arc Iris' Moon Saloon manages to accomplish both for its musicians and listeners.
Opening with a simple four-tap count-off from a gently gated hi-hat, "Kaleidoscope" kicks Moon Saloon off with Ray Belli (drums) and Zach Tenorio-Miller (keys) digging into a syncopated boom bap groove as Robin Ryczek (cello) surges in with her own sonic undertow. With a single, shimmering guitar chord, Jocie Adams is introduced as the narrator. Her lyrical foundation is paved with questions and reflections. As the track pushes forward, the original lines are spliced with slight variations and embellishments as a larger form takes shape. The track grows exponentially as single-line melodies and riffs erupt into soaring choral breaks. As the crescendo fades, a punchy, scattered ending reminds us not to get too comfortable...there’s more to come.
Splashed throughout the tracks of this album are vocal and instrumental bursts that possibly began as impulsive utterances and were then crafted into cathartic, joyously expressive moments. "Kingdom Come" presents a taste of this and captures the spontaneity of their musically playful side. In contrast, "Paint with the Sun" and "She Arose" serve as excellent reminders that Arc Iris isn’t messing around. At the appropriate time and place, they can throw in the kitchen sink with musically spectacular fashion.
The ideas and sounds crafted into the rest of the album, described as “dream-folk” by NPR, display a compositional creativity and musical growth for Adams’ that extends galaxies beyond her previously designated role in The Low Anthem. There is tremendous teamwork and musicianship that proves Arc Iris has arrived. Jocie, Zach, Ray and Robin achieved this by inviting their tremendously talented friends, Mike Irwin (trumpet), Charlie Rose (pedal steel. banjo) and many others to join them in front of and behind the microphones to help create something beautiful. Moon Saloon is the culmination of relentless touring and sculpting their sonic identity, along with growing in front of their fans and friends. With the album ready and released, we can now walk away from an Arc Iris show with an album that matches the intensity of what we just saw. It has happened just in time.
If a well crafted album is meant to be a journey and an exploration, Arc Iris' Moon Saloon manages to accomplish both for its musicians and listeners.
Opening with a simple four-tap count-off from a gently gated hi-hat, "Kaleidoscope" kicks Moon Saloon off with Ray Belli (drums) and Zach Tenorio-Miller (keys) digging into a syncopated boom bap groove as Robin Ryczek (cello) surges in with her own sonic undertow. With a single, shimmering guitar chord, Jocie Adams is introduced as the narrator. Her lyrical foundation is paved with questions and reflections. As the track pushes forward, the original lines are spliced with slight variations and embellishments as a larger form takes shape. The track grows exponentially as single-line melodies and riffs erupt into soaring choral breaks. As the crescendo fades, a punchy, scattered ending reminds us not to get too comfortable...there’s more to come.
Splashed throughout the tracks of this album are vocal and instrumental bursts that possibly began as impulsive utterances and were then crafted into cathartic, joyously expressive moments. "Kingdom Come" presents a taste of this and captures the spontaneity of their musically playful side. In contrast, "Paint with the Sun" and "She Arose" serve as excellent reminders that Arc Iris isn’t messing around. At the appropriate time and place, they can throw in the kitchen sink with musically spectacular fashion.
The ideas and sounds crafted into the rest of the album, described as “dream-folk” by NPR, display a compositional creativity and musical growth for Adams’ that extends galaxies beyond her previously designated role in The Low Anthem. There is tremendous teamwork and musicianship that proves Arc Iris has arrived. Jocie, Zach, Ray and Robin achieved this by inviting their tremendously talented friends, Mike Irwin (trumpet), Charlie Rose (pedal steel. banjo) and many others to join them in front of and behind the microphones to help create something beautiful. Moon Saloon is the culmination of relentless touring and sculpting their sonic identity, along with growing in front of their fans and friends. With the album ready and released, we can now walk away from an Arc Iris show with an album that matches the intensity of what we just saw. It has happened just in time.
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