I once made my fiancé a mix CD of Damien Jurardo songs that she refused to listen to because of the songs of his I’d played for her before. She liked a lot of them, but stated they were “so sad.†A few months later I was having a discussion with her dad about Jason Isbell’s “Elephant†and how I loved to listen to “sad and powerful†songs and he agreed, and even sent me a link to a New York Times article that showed how, for some people, listening to sad music can elevate their spirits (article link). While much of Jurado’s catalogue would fit the “sad†description, I’m not quite ready to place Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son in that category. In fact, I’m not sure quite what to do with it but enjoy at the moment.
Beginning with the ever building “Magic Number†it is clear that Jurado and producer Richard Swift are heading in a more psychedelic direction than before. Jurado’s last release, Maraqopa, hinted at this with the opening track “Nothing Is The Newsâ€, but the remainder of the tracks were tame in comparison. That’s not the case here. From the full and floating Lou Reedish “Metallic Cloud†to the Beach Boyish “Suns In Our Mind†Jurado’s ever-haunting vocals are surrounded by lush soundscapes and spacey sounding effects.
The liner notes make clear biblical references, as do many of the lyrics (roll the stone away), but I can’t exactly discern what Jurado is singing about. Is God coming to take us away to another planet? Are “Silver Donnaâ€, Silver Malcolm†and Silver Timothy†saints? I’m sure there’s a vague answer out there in Google-land, but for this review I’ve avoided reading anyone else’s thoughts on this record, including the artist’s.
The deluxe edition features stripped down versions of many of the songs featuring the “Sisters of the Eternal Son†and the bonus track “Plains To Crash†which is quite catchy.
RIYL: the sun (my favorite planet), long white robes, Battlestar Galactica
About the author: Producer, Engineer, Musician and all around music enthusiast.