Angels Of Light / New Mother

Young God

The Angels of Light is Swans founder Michael Gira's first "songwriting" project since he discontinued the Swans over a year ago. For those familiar with Gira's role in the Swans and his more recent sonic experimentation in the Body Lovers/Haters, this material will represent a radical step into new territory. For those still unfamiliar with Gira's influential 18 years of musical output, New Mother may just bring them into the fold. It was written, sung, and produced by M. Gira with contributions from a variey of players from across the musical spectrum, including: Bill Rieflin (Swans, Ministry), Christoph Hahn (Swans), Larry Mullins (Iggy Pop Band, the Residents), Thor Harris (Lisa Germano Band), Phil Puleo (Swans, Congo Norvell, Cop Shoot Cop), Julia Kent (Rasputina), Bill Bronson (Swans, Congo Norvell, the Gunga Din), Joe McGinty (Psychedelic Furs, The Losers Lounge NYC), Michelle Amar (Sulfer), Hahn Rowe (Foetus, Mimi Goesse Band), and Birgit Staudt (Blush). The compositions on New Mother represent powerful, complex and imaginative American songwriting by any standard. Country melancholy flows into raspy blues, dark and psychotic narrative grooves, and gently plucked layers of acoustic and electric guitars, slowly unraveling in psychedelic folk lullabies. Each arrangement is built around solo vocal and acoustic performances- sometimes incredibly intense, sometimes sensual and understated-given further variety and psychological depth by orchestration ranging from the stark, raw and expressionistic to the lushly cinematic. The instrumentation is appropriately rich and diverse: strings, hammer dulcimer, mandolin, banjo, lap steel guitars, vintage analog synthesizer, choral background vocals, Mellotron, B3 organ, vibraphone, glockenspiel, accordion, double bass, timpani, grand piano, and flute. 

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