(2018) Birds of Passage - The Death of Our Invention

Review: The Death of Our Invention heralds the return of Alicia Merz’s project after four years of silence. Yet despite a lengthy interval that suggests some degree of alteration in presentation naturally would have taken place, the New Zealand-based artist’s fourth full-length evidences little change in sound or style from her previous work. Normally that might be cause for complaint, but not here; in light of the deep entrancement induced by her earlier Birds of Passage recordings, it’s a relief to discover she hasn’t altered the project in any significant way for the new set. The haunting vocal settings that are her Birds of Passage trademark are in plentiful supply, and the songs themselves, especially when her fragile, tremulous voice figures so prominently in the mix, are still as exposing of Merz’s inner world as an open wound. In these minimalistic presentations, field recordings, acoustic guitar, piano, and electronics are used to intensify the emotional tenor of the material, while Merz’s hushed and sometimes multi-tracked vocal delivery is as intimate as a whisper. One could describe her as a singer-songwriter and her material songs, yet both are misleading: Merz’s presentation has more in common with a spiritual medium than anything singer-songwriter-related, and her pieces are more celestial reveries or incantations than conventional songs.

Tracklist: 01 - If Full of Care Part 1.flac 02 - Haunt My Existence.flac 03 - Creature of My Night.flac 04 - The Love Song.flac 05 - Shadows of Our Mind.flac 06 - Another Thousand Eyes.flac 07 - Without the World.flac 08 - Dare I Feel.flac 09 - Demons in Our Midst.flac 10 - Wake to the Dream.flac 11 - Modern Monster.flac 12 - If Full of Care Part 2.flac

Summary: Country: New Zealand Genre: alternative folk, ambient, dream-pop