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By: Dennis Cook
The patient, incremental rising of sunlight is a thing to behold - to watch the line between dark and light emerge, to see how each gives way, offering part of themselves so the other may exist. There is much of this balanced, measured beauty inside Matteah Baim's superb sophomore album, Laughing Boy (released March 31 on DiCristina). In a crystalline voice that captures vibrations and transmutes them into sounds that murmur beneath our flesh, Baim is carving her own brand of poetic blues, the repetition of phrases building force in ways not dissimilar to Blind Willie Johnson or Rev. Gary Davis, except her tales of distance, leaving, time and flight are embedded in musical worlds miles away from traditional crossroads. Chant and something vaguely Gregorian also drifts in her ether, and there's an oceanic hugeness at times, where one has only to slip into the current to find themselves far from shore, adrift on salty, luminescent currents, surprisingly unconcerned by the miles from home.
Attempting to carve out some facsimile of her music in words is a bit of a fool's errand, but one must try. It's one of those sounds akin to early Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen or Nico, in so much that it's unique and fresh and seems as natural as air, yet only vaguely resembles the other elements surrounding it at the record store. Her voice is warm and ranging, easy to get lost in, especially as strings drag gentle fingers through your hair and marshal drums kick mutedly. Again, balance is a word that readily springs to mind with Laughing Boy. Each aspect is so well placed and attuned to the lyrics, vocals, other instruments, etc. There's a lovely overlapping reverberation that makes the whole shebang linger far longer than the average record. Like bits of verse or lines of great movie dialog, Laughing Boy will resurface in your thoughts, tiny wild animals blinking at you from the woods in the back of your mind, ready to pounce or purr depending on the hand you extend towards them. This is a subtle, tremendous work that richly rewards all the energy you want to put into it. Unlike much of the "product" out there, this Boy thrives best when one sways with him, letting his sweet breath crawl into your shoulder as the heat of him leaves a faint, moist imprint on your body.
So if we dance
The disappearing dance
Sky and trees
Baby please
Can it be easy
Sometimes it can be
JamBase | Touched
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