Transient Thoughts 001 - Gates of Siam - Eve

 

Transient Thoughts is a series of shorter reviews that capture my thoughts on a given album at a given time.  Most of these reviews have not had nearly as in depth of a look at my full reviews.  These thoughts are often formulated while walking through my neighborhood, and reflect how the album impacted me in those moments.  I hope you enjoy them.

When this album first released I dismissed it as something that I could not get into.  I’m not entirely sure why I thought that, because upon revisiting it I found myself listening to one of the strongest albums of the year.  

Eve does what few albums can do, it enraptures the listener in its sonic tapestry and doesn't let go from beginning to end.  Very seldom do I listen to an album that captures my attention, imagination, and ultimately adoration like Eve has.

The way that the tracks are composed leads the listener down these paths and trails that are akin to little adventures.  They take their time to develop and even when they swell into a massive crescendo, it never feels overwhelming… more welcoming and warm in its nature.  The music here can be seen as a guide to discover places unknown.  It doesn't tell us what we are looking for, merely to go and seek.

Most of the songs contain little to nothing in the way of percussion, maybe 2-3 of the tracks have anything resembling a beat, and even then it is slow and never distracting from the main portions of the songs.  The core of the music comes in layered ambience that slowly flows in and out like the tide.  It builds over time, reaching a high point and then slowly recedes.  Sparse yet excellently composed melodies play atop, yet are never the main focus, merely part of the whole.  

The whole album has this mystical air about it, like we never truly know what is going on, we are meant to discover our own meanings.  It's this mystique that really draws me back to this album, what keeps me exploring its sonic landscapes.

In the shorter reviews I prefer to focus on the album as a whole rather than specific songs. However I would be remiss to leave out any mention of the title track Eve.  This song breaks from the feeling of mystique and wonder and instead has a sense of profound loss.  

Eve pairs a rainstorm with a piano melody throughout its duration.  It's not what is used here that matters, it's how it is used.  The piano is used to great effect here: it is given an extremely long delay, giving it a nostalgic feel.  It's repeated throughout the song, almost as if reliving a moment in time.

I’m often struck with this image of someone holding their dying lover as the rain cascades around them as the song plays.  It's intensely emotional and it may very well be my favorite song of this year.  

Eve represents everything that I adore in music.  It respects the listener, never telling us what we should be thinking or experiencing, merely providing an audio canvas so that we can impart our own visions onto it.  Where will this album take you?  The only way to know is to listen.