Voice Of One Crying In The Wilderness by VALLEY OF SALT is a beautiful concept album twisting and turning from country to prog rock to folk. The project feels connected to nature from beginning to end. There is a space and calmness in the composition of the tracks that reminded me of the beauty of nature. How the layers of melody flow over one another immerses the listener deeper into the narrative of the project. The first track that stood out to me was Don’t Be Afraid.
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The song has a melancholic tone with layers of strings that make up the majority of the melodic backbone. This track also establishes the vocal presence of the album. The vocals lead from the front, dictating the direction of the melody. The vocals establish a sonic language, the strings follow it then the vocals subvert it, providing each track with a sense of beautiful contrast and evolution as the different aspects ebb and flow. They dance around, spread out, and then catch up with one another. The vocals on Don’t Be Afraid, in particular, do a great job of establishing the sense of uncertainty at the core of the song’s narrative tapestry. The softness of the vocals allows the emotion to flow out and also provides contrast to the boldness of the chords from the piano. The gentle tone of this track differs from other songs on the project such as What Did You See. This project is energised by the deep bass guitar. It jumps octaves and bounces around with a sense of confidence and power that acts as the foundation for the rest of the rhythm and melody. On top of this, layers of guitar fill out the top end of the song, lending it an ethereal nature. Together, these aspects deliver a bold and exciting project that wanders between confidence and melancholy so fantastically, excelling at both extremes of the emotional scale.
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