Quilt, the NYC-based trio, channels the mystique that The Beatles picked up when they released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and philosophically inspired nature-oriented lyrics on their latest release Held In Splendor. After Anna Fox Rochinski and Shane Butler formed the initial impetus for the group, with John Andrews joining the band as drummer since 2009, their backgrounds in classically inspired music and spiritually-oriented communities shine through. The music has a mantra-like quality, despite the consistent use of raga-melodies and repetitive phrases that mimic looped tapes.
"Eye Of The Pearl" is a leap in lightness, featuring Anna's voice in lo-fi who croons, "I used to think that you were moving, but now you are so still" and "you keep changing all of my meanings." The sensory feeling the lyrics give are mind-bending, verging on a series of psychedelic influenced thoughts, or the twist you feel after reading a line from a book that completely changes your world. Quiet twang recordings fade out this track in a dream state. Not all the tracks on this meditative journey are placid. "A Mirror" and "Tired & Buttered" are kicked up an aggressive notch that gives the album the depth that it lacks.
Even though the effects are well thought out, and the lyrics beautiful, there were a few tracks that struck me as trying too much to be psychedelic. "World Is Flat" is two minutes of droned out hip effects, perhaps mimicking a Floyd-improvisation, aiming for the mind-bending quality but not quite reaching the full effect. "Secondary Swan" could cut out the shakers and middle eastern influenced violin drawls. Quilt has all the moves to branch out of their sunny shells like Anna's hollow and haunting voice, clear mastery of classic psychedelic effects, and sharp percussion. Who knows--maybe they're holding out for next time.
Grade: C
