I listen to a lot of new music whilst out running. I'm not the type of runner who needs motivating high tempo beats to accompany me whilst I'm out - no 'Eye of the Tiger' on my playlists, or even 'Tubthumping' by the sadly retired Chumbawamba. Running to me is the most beautiful escape and helps me make sense of the stresses of the world, and I guess music has a similar effect on me too. But something unusual happened to me late last Friday afternoon whilst listening to the new EP by 'Boon Moon' - 'The Writer'. It was 'dimsey out' (that's Devonian for 'almost dusk'), I was running on the 'downs' away from the city, and I'd reached the final track on the EP 'False Fires', when I got hit by a mellow cello solo followed by this beautiful melancholy vocal melody. Such was the appeal of the sounds consuming me I found myself sitting on a boulder surveying the surroundings and valley below, and totally lost in the charm of the track - it didn't seem right to disturb the beauty of the music by my heavy footfall and gasped breathing.
'Bone Moon' is the new project from Lauri Myllymäki, formally the lead in the much missed 'Ochre Room', and hopefully some of you will remember that we introduced you to them last July when they released the track 'Thresher'. I was really looking forward to hearing an EP from a writer who writes the softest of indie folk songs, and the fact that other musicians in Finland have so much respect for Lauri Myllymäki's songwriting, (both Antti from Koria Kitten Riot and Laura Moisio have nudged us to look out for a post Ochre Room project), hasn't gone unnoticed either.
'The Writer' opens with the title track, with just a simple acoustic guitar, and the most gorgeous gentle sung tune, before other instruments are sparingly added, and it is all so finely judged - subtle crescendos to the chorus, and each instrument adding purpose with each string plucked. No note is wasted here. I love the guitar playing in the second track 'Bone Moon' to the extent I've had it streaming around my house really loudly all weekend, I've wanted every note to reach me wherever I might be, and I love the rhythms of the carefully used percussion that gently carry the track forward. 'Lady Noon' is an equally beautiful track, but here in particular I'm struck that actually it's Lauri Myllymäki's vocals themselves that are so convincing, and at the heart of the songs. And then to the aforementioned 'False Fires', opening with a short cello trio arrangement before that gorgeous, if simple enough, cello solo and the track opens up to a series of intertwining melodies, with more exquisite instrumentation.
Anyway there's a video for title track 'The Writer' too:
As a reviewer, I find myself writing about the detail about tracks and trying to explain why I like what I hear. But actually for an EP such as 'The Writer' to have such an effect on me on first listen, is a far more powerful demonstration to me of why the tracks are so beautiful. This is very special songwriting, handcrafted and delicately finished. And I fully realise that the style of soft and sometimes melancholy folk won't be to everyone's liking, but I really hope everyone will give this a few listens, and that there will be those of you who get to fully appreciate it's charm.
'The Writer' is available on all major streaming services, and on Itunes too. If you're lucky enough to be in Tampere, there is a release concert with the previously mentioned Laura Moisio at Telakka on Friday 10th March. Check out the Facebook page below for more details.