Brother Sun, Sister Moon - Brother Sun, Sister Moon

by Andy Cassidy

published: 2 / 4 / 2012

Brother Sun, Sister Moon - Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Label: Denovali Records
Format: CD

Understated, yet inventive debut album from Brother Son, Sister Moon, the new project of Alicia Merz from Birds of Passage and Gareth Munday from Roof Light

Review

Brother Son, Sister Moon (BSSM) is a collaboration between Alicia Merz (Birds of Passage) and Gareth Munday (Roof Light). Their self-titled debut album is a melodic, genre-defying collection of pastoral pieces which is far removed from both artists’ previous output. The album opens with 'Ghosts of Barry Mil'l, a washed-out, haunted hymn with a folky and autumnal feel. Merz’s vocals are soft and breathy over a gently lilting backing track featuring guitars and sitars. 'Stand Under', the album’s second track, blends the folky sensibilities of the opening track with a more processed sound – think Panda Bear meets Nick Drake. Again, Merz’s heavily treated vocal steals the show, drifting in and out of the song like the song of a siren. The title track is pure Orb circa 1990, with wonderfully mellow looping samples – it’s a superbly soothing piece of music, and, frankly, one of the best tracks I’ve heard in a long time. 'From Grain to Flower' is a dizzily looping sample-fest, and yet even at the height of its punch drunk reeling, it remains true in tone and mood to the remainder of the album. The overall feel of the album is captured by the closing track of the album proper, 'South Downs by Morning'. The track begins with a country church bell before giving way to yet another superbly understated vocal by Merz. The album is being released on CD and LP, with each format offering a different remix of 'Stand Under'. The LP, which includes a download code, features a remix by the Dale Cooper Quartet which in itself justifies the price of the LP – it really is that good. This is a fantastic album, full of Orb-like textures, Nick Drake-style acoustic pieces and, in places, Goldfrapp-style vocals. Merz’s vocals have a gossamer-like quality, a quality which they somehow retain despite being heavily processed. 'Brother Sun, Sister Moon' is a forceful musical argument which never raises above a whisper. It is an album of the highest quality – inventive, intelligent and yet never showy. I can see that BSSM and I will be spending a great many warm summer evenings together.

Track Listing:-

1 Ghosts Of Barry Mill
2 Stand Under
3 Cope
4 Brother Sun, Sister Moon
5 A Year's Worth Of Leaves In Your Heart
6 From Grain To Flour
7 Storms Break The Day
8 One Throws And One Pulls
9 All You Need
10 South Downs By Morning
11 Stand Under (Listening Mirror Remix)