unholy rhythms

Thoughts on Born Gold’s “Little Sleepwalker”

It’s easy to become entangled in the world of the present. The ever sinking feelings that tomorrow - tomorrow doesn’t truly exist. To sink into a world of mantras “tomorrow this shall come to fruition” only to fully acknowledge that these are little lies you tell yourself to cope. My life has been just that - ceasing to forget about tomorrow. I had little time to reflect back on music nor did I have the will. I just don’t have the energy for it…

Last week, Born Gold released their sophomore follow up to “Body Works” entitled “Little Sleepwalker”. It isn’t typical for me to write “album reviews” yet I feel compelled to write my thoughts about this particular release. 

It is not easy to admit that upon first listen I wasn’t as enamored with it as I may have wanted to be. It wasn’t the lyrics, the “darker” atmosphere, or the instrumental interludes that didn’t resonate with me. When I sat back and really dissected the album, I realized the element I longed for, the missing piece of the puzzle, was Cecil Frena’s voice.

There is something to be said about the way Cecil sings. There is an alluring element in his voice - an aura which is both apprehensive but always earnest and sincere. As the story unfolds, instead of his vocals being ever present, we get to know this realm through other (digitized) narrators. 

Once I became accustomed to the cast of “characters”, I began to understand there was much more to it than I first grasped. Scratching farther beneath the layers, past the vocal effects and through labyrinthine lyrics - another dimension was revealed. 

The album is truly organic - breathing and morphing the environment you are currently in. Transforming, engaging the current - the now - the present - into something more fanciful. It is animate, alive, and ever present. A realm laid about in vignettes of mythical, phantasmagorical fables as told by an allusive impish narrators. Purring and gargling their aches - pining and fawning - lamenting and questioning. 

In this particular world, things are not what they seem. You cannot grasp what you so long to hold dear. If you love, you may lose. And there’s the glorious horror - the sinews that shine, blood that sparkles with a darkend sheen. 

“Little Sleepwalker” is more atramentous than other works - shimmering with flecks of despondency and sorrow. A bewailing ode - eulogies for dolor. This aspect however, is not entirely new to Born Gold. Admist all the buoyancy and neon-accented instrumentation of post Born Gold era, were lyrics of terror, psychedelia, and horror. This time around, the music and words meld forming somnambulant play dates. 

All in all, its some of the best music I’ve heard this year in a year where not much is pleasing me. This is not a rebirth nor is this a transformation. It is more like a glimpse of one the many faces of Born Gold. Never to be confined or defined. 

♫ File under: dark, electronic, storytellers