This is such a complex, amazing and dramatic album what else can I say in the end? Dirge by Cedar & Soil (George Abi-Hanna ) is more than amazing and dramatic, it’s also extremely suspenseful and somewhat comical. It has a very quirky-dark quality to it as well The intro track “Here Comes the Sound” gives you the impression as if you were in some noir, Hitchcockian movie. The really dark, yet emotional charged synth leaves you breathless. The music reminiscent of acts such as Julianna Barwick, Ben Frost and Oneohthrix. Cedar & Soil has really strong tonality foundation coupled with unusual rhythms, hypnotic piano and spaced out goodness. The vocals from Abi-Hanna are interesting. If these tracks were more rocked out I could hear Primus, Gorillaz or even The Bloodhound Gang performing them. That’s how crazy it is. Without a doubt, it’s impossible to deny the superiority of this band consisting of Abi-Hanna. It’s epically, quirky and you get this feeling as if you are in a funny nightmare. The drums and the bass lines just help push the album forward, and the vibe, if you pay attention carefully, has a really odd, mysterious, X-File sort of vibe. As the CD evolves it showcases some dramatic combinations or Jazz like guitar and Electonica overtones on tracks like “The Beatdown” and “The Dreaded R Train”. The drum/synth/vocal combos have an important role on some pieces as well. On many these tracks as a producer Abi-Hanna is clearly in charge of giving the mood assigning to each song. The addition of the ambient tidbits every now and then gives many song a jazzy yet ambient/eletronica touch.
My favorite track is by far “Sirens”
In conclusion, here’s a CD release I’ve been dying to get my hands on for a while. I was just unable to stumble across him until today. It’s also very subliminal, and a grand concept that’s sure to get many peoples attention. From the production level, to the musicianship involved, Dirge by Cedar & Soil delivers in grand fashion. Let’s also give credit to the evil genius behind all this shall we? With the advent of George Abi-Hanna’s superlative signature sound via his trademark moniker (Cedar & Soil) everything here works terrifically well. It will keep you in a state of wonder from start to finish. Recording Artist, Writer, Producer, Performer– George Abi-Hanna. Bravo, I say!
Rating 8/10 Stars
Primary URL: http://cedarsoil.com/
Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/Dirge-Cedar-Soil/dp/B00F3YGOF8
Written by Christopher Eaton. Edited by Heather Savage
Review comments: heathersavage5@gmail.com
