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: : Review : :
 I don't think one really needs an introduction for a band that has delivered albums
of the caliber of "As the world" and "Suffocating the bloom". Their previous
release, "Cowboy Poems Free", was a sharp histology of modern Americana, told with
their usual, distinct sense of arranging and harmony, and was hailed by many as a
proud addition to the Echolyn cannon.
Then came this year's NEARfest,
where Echolyn performed killer versions of some of their most popular songs as a
prelude to the live debut of their latest opus, Mei, backed by a small orchestra.
I think it's fair to say that many people were left scratching their heads at that
one, and I was definitely among them. I remember asking Ray Weston after the show
"just what the hell were you guys thinking?"
 To be fair, it obviously took some major balls to walk onstage and play the
40-minute behemoth in front of 2000 unsuspecting guinea pigs without a proper
soundcheck; thrown into monitor limbo, under the gun of the tourniquet-tight
NEARfest schedule, only a band of Echolyn's grit could have done as well as they
did. Unfortunately, regardless of how adventurous the prog fans may like to pretend
to be, Echolyn's ambitious experimental test of their mettle had mixed results, at
best.
"
Months after the event, I have finally fully digested Mei "
I think this is definitely one of the best albums out there. The composition is very
complex, even by Echolyn standards, and it took me a long time to finally understand
it from beginning to end. The lyrics, which can be downloaded from the band's
website, are a perfect match. The orchestral arrangements by Buzby are delicate and
refined, the electric and acoustic instruments coexist in true symbiosis, and the
net effect of their collaboration is a single composition of haunting beauty.
If you've made it this far in the review, you're hopefully someone with an interest
in music that rocks, breathes, chills the spine and incessantly refuses to go down
the beaten path. If so, do yourself a big favor and go buy this record immediately.
Most people probably won't have the patience, but this is a definitely an oasis in
the musical desert for those who do.
Rating: 9.5 keyboards
Reviewer: Luis Nasser
Visit the artist website:
Echolyn
Contact -
http://www.echolyn.com/contact.php
Record Label:
http://www.velveteenrecords.com/html/body_catalog.html
: : Additional Musicians : :
Janosh Armer: Violin 2
Jonathan Atkins: Cello
Emily Botel-Barnard: Violin 1
Sarah Green: Flute
Eric Huber: Vibraphone, Marimba, Timpani, Tambourine
Jordan Perlson: Percussion
Jian Shen: Clarinet
: : Discography : :
Echolyn - 1991
Suffocating the Bloom - 1992
...And Every Blossom - 1993
As The World - 1995
When The Sweet Turns Sour - 1996
Cowboy Poems Free - 2000
Mei - 2002
Progfest '94: The Official Bootleg - 2002
A Little Nonsense: Now and Then - 2002
VISIT OUR -
Echolyn Gallery
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