Self-deprecation is worth its weight in smoldering phoenix-ashes and baby unicorn tears.
Published on April 27, 2006 By SanChonino In Music

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Systems/Layers
By: Rachel's
Year: 2003


My experience with the group Rachel's has been an interesting one. I heard of them for the first time as I was sitting in my buddy's basement, looking through a copy of his university's newspaper. I read a review for this album, and my interest was piqued by what the author had said – that this album was a combination of such odd things that it somehow worked.

So we logged on to amazon.com and looked up the disc, listening to all the little thirty-second clips. The music sounded very intriguing, and my piqued interested . . . somehow got even greater.

So I tracked down a copy of the CD. Not an easy task; I called many stores throughout the valley looking for it, finally finding it at a small, independently owned record store near the University of Utah.

And as i listened to the disc, my ears were filled with such aural goodness that words can't seem to describe. While this band is usually found in the pop/rock section of the store, they aren't that. At all. There music is a combination of ambient noises and amazingly well-crafted avant-garde classical music, played by full orchestras or smaller groups.

This CD is the perfect album to sit and chill to; great for studying; or just wonderful for calming down after a busy day. I find it soothing, moving, and poetic.

Tracks to catch: Water From the Same Source: a building, beautiful song, reminiscent of Ravel's Bolero in its drive from quiet and simple to loud and gorgeous. Arterial: a song with sparse string work over the top of a moving piano piece, absolutely divine. Even/odd: driven, pounding classical tune. Esperanza: the most poignant piece on the disc (and I find the prettiest), the full orchestrations of this song are splendidly crafted. NY Snow Globe: a continuation of the theme presented in “Water From the Same Source”, this time simplified and pared down to just a piano – a moving album closer.

Rating: 9/10
This album was my great introduction to Rachel's, and I've since fallen in love with two of their other albums, “Music for Egon Schiele” and “Selenography”, but this is their strongest work. Anyone looking for beautiful and calming avant-garde classical would be thrilled to hear this subtle, wonderfully nuanced album.


Comments
on Apr 27, 2006

Perfect!  That is how you do it.  Glad you found a gold nugget!

perhaps I will listen to her one day.  When I get tired of Zepplin, Blues and the Doors.