Seven Crows – Powers of Observation
This effort is a bit outside the perimeter of Americana-roots music. It’s an all-instrumental LP featuring ethereal landscapes, haunting melodic runs, & lots of ambient compositional architecture. In a more World music posture, it could be likened to the Paul Winter Consort. The old violin-driven band The Flock had passages like this, but in a more progressive-jazz blend by violinist Jerry Goodman. This album is more in line with the progressive outreaches of Darryl Way & Keith Tippett’s Septober Energy project with multiple violins. Yes, that’s how it’s spelled. Septober.
However, some of the more rootsier explorations do squeeze in. “Longing” has subtle hints of fiddle-noodling from the mountains, but it’s underscored by Seven Crows’ expertise. Despite the absorbing performance, the exterior finish is highly polished & could be appreciated by roots fans since electric violinist Chris Murphy (aka Seven Crows) smuggles in some interesting Americana-oriented picking & bowing that’s melodic & loaded with accessories that make it intriguing to hear.
There are 14 Powers of Observation (Drops April 24/Teahouse Records/77:15) that display Murphy’s command of his violin. It doesn’t sound like Itzhak Perlman, but it does suggest that at any given moment, Seven Crows can go “Ian Anderson” on his violin the way Ian strangled his flute. “Talk Story” is superb – it has all the inventiveness of rock with touches of European folk accentuated through the electricity that ignites those 5 little strings. Murphy even radiates across his strings the way Miles Davis shuffled his trumpet valves. It’s interesting, & the music isn’t as challenging as you’d think – Seven Crows makes it accessible.
All the music on this 2nd album was composed & performed by Los Angeles-based violinist Chris Murphy & produced by Gregg Williams with Chris. It was recorded in Portland, OR. “Woke Up Singing” is an instrumental that would motivate a lyricist. It’s melodically lovely & it is aching for a story, words, because the music alone is already narrating. The violin even sounds like it’s singing, shadowing words that have yet to be written.
If this is ambient music, it has a determined direction unlike some of the styles in other recordings that seem to wander & meander through their arrangements. This isn’t John Cage weird, or Phillip Glass eccentric. It has violin bursts similar to the peppered passages by King Crimson (David Cross), Van der Graaf Generator’s Graham Smith, The Who’s Dave Arbus & even Private Lightning’s Patty Van Ness. Seven Cross embellishes far more (“Encrypted” “1958 Hong Kong”) & allows it to simmer.
The LP has heavy sweeps that captivate. It’s imagination music. Add headphones, Brandy & a sofa.
Highlights – “Amanda on the Bed,” “Longing,” “Talk Story,” “Woke Up Singing,” “Encrypted,” “The Defeat of the Spanish Armada,” “Buried In Her Heart,” “1958 Hong Kong,” “Boreal,” & “Glacier’s Edge.”
B&W image courtesy of Seven Crows Facebook. CD @ Apple & Bandcamp + https://www.sevencrowsmusic.com/