Rachel Grimes - Book of Leaves

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 8 / 11 / 2009

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A piano solo album conceived in natural isolation and recorded in summer. With a background, or attitude if you wish, in post-rock Rachel Grimes strikes the grand piano keys rather roughly. But Rachel Grimes's first few compositions are snappy try-outs. Let's settle for that. Keen to dam a flow of thoughts with wide chords that form the middle part of her fourteen tracks, she usually begins and ends with some freestyling. A set of brisk field recordings, 'Book of Leaves' is a hymn to nature. 'On The Morrow' then follows with magnificent tension and timing. Ah, the travesty of it all; the fourteen pieces of 'Book of Leaves' were played on a Steinway but Rachel Grimes on her sleeve notes thanks Chris for ProTool (software) advice. Most of the times, the recordings work out well, but yet there are moments of hammered distortion such as on the adaption of an old English folk tune. Brooding menace on the loud 'Mossgrove' in comparison comes off much better when she tests her grand piano with equal stamina. Rachel's sketches are for being in the woods. 'Book of Leaves', must be heard over loudspeakers and should be connected to the stereo as if that big Steinway stood in your room. Recommended to those who like walking.

Track Listing:-

1 Long Before Us
2 Every Morning
3 The Corner Room
4 She Was Here
5 On the Morrow
6 My Dear Companion
7 Far Light
8 Mossgrove
9 Bloodroot
10 At the Pond
11 Starwhite
12 The Side View
13 Every Morning, Birds
14 A Bed of Moss

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