Constellations by Balmorhea

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Perhaps, it is more suitable to said that Balmorhea had back to basic with their fourth album Constellations where it strips the electric instrumentation and just purely focused on acoustic instrumentation with piano and guitar. Live up to the album name Constellations, this is an album for a silent and starry night, light breeze caressing ones face gently, and as time goes by with the notable music notes ones slowed the breathing and stared into the deep nothingness with your mind start wonder away. Harmonious, beauteous, pleasant and engaging should be the best words to describe this low decibel ranges work. 

The album start off with To The Order of The Night a very meticulous work of music, which I found it magnificently breathtaking beautiful that my hair stands at the back of my neck. Silently beautiful. The second track, Bowsprit perhaps is the less minimalist piece in this nine track album. Unlike other tracks that had been kept to a minimal and low decibel range of works. Bowsprit is the most happening track in the whole ablum with banjo, guitar, violin, cello, stomps and perhaps hand-claps. This is the moment where fireworks lit up the dark night. 

Winter Circle, Constellations and Steerage and The Lamp shouldn't have a problem to take hold of the heart of piano lovers. This trio are piano based tracks. Winter Circle is more melancholy with the echo of the vocals. I can’t help but to relate it to despair, lost and death.  Constellations is intriguing, in the first 1.20mins it just revolve around a one or two music notes that keep repeating. The track starts to take off after that and melodic it may became but it was like a soft whisper, tip-toeing. Steerage and The Lamp is a long 7mins length track that for the first 5mins the only things that matter is the piano played by Rob Lowe and at the exact 5.03mins mark the cello kicks in and boy it was it beautiful. The marriage of the piano and cello resulting a somber listening experience yet one will not feel the gloomy mood. 

On Herons two acoustic guitars explore a chord progression but at some point I can’t help to notice the similarities between this song and Night Squall which is another track from this album. A very symphonious and euphonious track that performed using bass guitar and cello with occasionally drumming. On the Weight of Night lean heavily upon lightly-plucked acoustic guitars, gently-brushed drums to create a smoky and melancholic moods. Palestrina the last track and the most stand out track from this album. The songs fuses the ghostly choir which reminds me of the choir from those old cathedral with stained glass and most probably the sound of a light saber perhaps? The only thing that I can only related to with the laser-sound-alike noise. Towards almost the end of the track, ambient mist of humming strings fuse in making this one of the most memorable track and ended this album perfectly. 

Constellations by Balmorhea is a light and easy to listen album. At first listening it may not have a ‘woah’ effect that take you off guard. But as time goes by, if given the chance to listen for a few more times you would found as like the music has mature and become more flavourful. It starts to grow on you. Given the right time and chances Constellations would probably be one of the best instrumental album of this year.  

Buy Constellations by Balmorhea.