Prior to this full-length the only work I had heard from brothers Jason and Jamey Thompkins under the Harvest Rain moniker was the "A Frost Comes With the Wind" EP, released some time ago. This new full-length sees them branching out into a couple of different directions, including collaborations with Axel Frank of Werkraum (vocals, guitars, keyboards, flute) and Tor Lundvall (vocals, soundscapes), further fleshing out their brand of "Samhain folk" (which is at times quite heavily influenced by Death in June both in visual appearance and musical tone) to include a bit more atmospheric texture and feeling. This is certainly a darker and more interesting exploration of ideas than the aforementioned EP was, and the quality of the performances (especially vocally) have certainly improved to a more confident and convincing level. Surprisingly, the first two tracks are rather electronic in nature, with vocals acting more as narration, so I was initially unsure of what to expect here. There are still some rough patches that need work, but at least these areas are listenable and have enjoyable qualities. For example, the vocal performance in "Night Ride" feels a little forced, but there's something about the programmed percussion and synth melodies that works well, regardless of the fact that their character is somewhat of a surprising contrast to the more organic tracks. Meanwhile, the vocals are subtler and more effective in "Strange Lights Appear", while some of the guitar lines are a little cheesy and have somewhat of a new age kind of vibe happening. Also unexpected is the heavily electronic and borderline new wave undercurrent in tracks like "A Cold Bed", where the programmed beat and electronics almost dominate the vocals. Among the more effective forays into this more electronic direction is "Glowing Across", with its prominently plunky bassline against distant monotone vocals and flowing synth melodies that carry the piece on its way nicely. But the largely instrumental "Green Flame" is quite a sinister piece of work, and the flute is expertly handled; with the combination of thick fretless bass, acoustic guitars, and dismally slow tempo in the title track also making for a very nice mix of the "Samhain folk" sound with more colorful experimental electronic counterparts. There aren't a great many tracks that directly reference the more acoustic based sound of some of the band's earlier work, with the fingerpicked guitars and once more superb flute of "Frozen Light" making for a powerful bright spot late in the disc. The third track, "Wafeln", is the first (and most distinct) glimpse at the folkier sound of the band's past efforts, here accented by some ambient electronics and programmed percussion for added density. Closer "Listening" also allows acoustics to take hold with more droning flute, and the slow pacing is one of the brooding characteristics that I'd like to hear more of from this project, as it certainly makes for one of their truest strengths. The recording is fairly good. It could use some work in that the mix is at times unbalanced and some of the details feel like they're getting shuffled aside, but for the most part the sounds are resonant and full. There's still a little bit of a rugged sort of D.I.Y. edge to it, which could add to or detract from the work depending on where you're coming from, but I think the music would further improve with minor adjustments to the sound quality that would unify elements of the mix and allow some of the other subtleties the duo is now working with to play a more significant role - though admittedly that's of little concern. My chief complaint with this group has always been that their visual appeal is severely lacking, and that's truer now more than ever since the music has progressed to a more moving and curious level of quality. But the layout here is simply bland - especially the cover art, which borders on looking silly. Elsewhere it's mainly plain white text over black panels for the lyrics and credits, so... it's really not very attractive at all. I'm not terribly taken by the often obscure lyrics either, but there are passages of worth: "I guess you'd like to see shivering curtains turning into wings, and then her violent wind, Bodies floating on the glowing ground." 15 tracks and 56 minutes is certainly on the heavy-handed side, whereas five to seven of the finest tracks herein would've made for an excellent EP, but I'm still pleased overall. I think the group would perhaps be best served to stray from too many of the overly electronic jaunts in favor of their original folk and their newfound penchant for collaborations that still references their roots... but they're coming more into their own sound now, so hopefully they'll continue to grow in that manner. Not bad. Were this a slightly shorter/more focused affair with packaging that would more maturely and intriguingly represent the musical/lyrical atmospheres I'd easily grant it a 7/10. They're on the way...
[OPN]
Running time - 56:57, Tracks: 15
[Notable tracks: Wafeln, Night Chorus, Green Flame, Glowing Across, Frozen Light, Listening]
OPN - http://opn.free.fr
