This album is a Cosmic, Saxophone Induced Nightmare.
Colin Stetson is a name deserving of more recognition. The average person has most likely come across his work at least once without realizing it. The Montreal-based Saxophonist/Multi-instrumentalist has worked with a long list of reputable, arguably legendary acts. Acts like “Arcade Fire,” “Bon Iver,” and “Tom Waits” to name a few. To add to this already impressive resume, Stetson has worked on over a dozen original motion picture soundtracks.
Stetson uses the knowledge gained from his illustrious career and structured education (University of Michigan School of Music) in order to create masterfully evocative soundscapes. These soundscapes have the ability to both place the listener in a serene and tranquil setting, or a gut-wrenching place of unease and tension. Many listeners may already be accustomed to the emotional effectiveness of the latter, through Stetson’s work on the soundtrack for Ari Aster’s “Hereditary” (2017).
The newest release by Colin Stetson, The Love It Took to Leave You, is the artist’s 10th studio album to date. Stetson combines a mix of synths, strings, saxophones, percussion, and vocalizations to create a cosmically horrifying 73 minutes of sound. The psychedelically influenced horns scatter the thoughts of the listener and lead them through the album on a short leash.
The opening/title track of the album, The Love It Took To Leave You, begins with a lone horn, fading in from the dark. Here to call out a warning of what’s to come. Distorted sirens and deep rumbling come next. The horns resonate alongside the ethereal vocalizations. A cacophony of saxophone notes comes in around the (1:10) mark. The saxophone sounds like millions of souls screaming out from the abyss, and from this abyss comes startling sets of triplets. The highs and lows of this track are fighting on the battlefield for attention both are worthy adversaries of each other. As the track goes on vocalizations are now heard clearly, the low growling screams of one man, juxtaposed with angelic falsettos. The Love It Took To Leave You closes with warp-speed saxophones overlapping one another, kept together by the minimalistic bass line.
The second track on the album, “The Six,” grows sinister instantaneously. Immediate aggressive screams and a deep fuzzy synth-like bass chill the hairs on the back of one’s neck as baritone horns keep a steady and intense beat. The (1:07) mark of the song introduces a searing bass line as if the sound waves themselves were slashed at with a rusty blade. This motif repeats itself throughout the track, effectively jarring the listener each time it comes back. That is until a barrage of industrial sounds breaks up the rhythm and creates something new. This latter part of the track sonically resembles melodic power tools and serrated edges. This makes it utterly clear that in the space this album exists in, something is not right.
“Malediction,” the sixth track on the album, is perhaps the most effective in its task of creating a narrative soundscape. Malediction is the term for a phrase uttered to bring about a curse and/or general chaos. It is a fitting title as the track seems to be a representation of a grave decision one is about to make. Synth and saxophone coexist as one amalgamation of bubbly noise, as the dynamics of the song sway in and out like waves against the shore. This track continuously clips and does so fiercely, possibly referring to an uncontrollable rage.
Overall this is an exciting and visceral album. Stetson guides the listener right up the edge of the void, alongside the barrier separating us from the chaos of the unknown. While tracks like “The Auger” and “Bloodrest” offer small periods of calm, most of this album is nightmare-inducing noise. It does not need to be any other way. The sheer ability Stetson has in making an impact on the listener and their mental state should be praised highly. One can only hope Stetson will continue down this path of discovery in the sphere of terror.
Leave a Comment