Author Topic: [Music] maudlin of the Well - Part the Second  (Read 2858 times)

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Offline TheOutlawXanadu

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[Music] maudlin of the Well - Part the Second
« on: November 01, 2009, 11:03:29 AM »
maudlin of the Well - Part the Second
2009
Progressive Rock (I guess)

Imagine one of those deep, used car salesman voices, would you?

Do you like progressive rock (whatever that is)?

Do you like soothing, understated music (whatever that means)?

Do you like music with orchestral guest spots (whatever an orchestra comprises)?

Then try maudlin of the Well's Part the Second today!


... Sorry for the cheese, but I'm not quite sure how to sell you on this record. Whatever I say, I'm going to sound like I'm advertising it anyway, so why not go ahead and actually advertise it, right?

Bottom line is: Most of you have probably never heard motW nor do you care to. Before this year and a chance skim of Rate Your Music's top albums of 2009, I hadn't either. But then something dawned on me:

If this unknown band made the record with money donated to them by fans only, why not give it a shot? They must really love what they do to make something they know no one might hear, and if their fans cared enough to allow them to make it, maybe I'm missing out on something special.

And I was. Until I heard it.

Funnily enough, despite being made on a low budget, the record sounds amazing. Not amazing for a record of its circumstances, mind you; amazing, period. As mentioned above, there are lots of guest instruments working, like flutes and cellos and the works. If I had to describe the music I'd call it mostly instrumental, even though there are some vocals.

If you look these guys up on Wikipedia, you'll notice they're interested in astral projection. They want their music to be an out-of-body experience, which, I know, is a little pretentious. Then again, one of their song titles is "An Excerpt from 6,000,000,000,000 Miles Before the First, or, the Revisitation of the Blue Ghost", so what would you expect?

The music isn't ambient or anything like that, mind you. It's just very soft, and very beautiful. It's the sort of the thing you can play in the background or play to focus on; the former lulling you to sleep with its quiet and the latter keeping you interested with all its intricacies. There are moments it sends chills up my spine it's so well-done, honestly, like in the middle of "Another Excerpt: Keep Light Near You, Even When Dying", for example.

Last note before ending this is... I know you didn't want to hear it but... Wait... Cliche coming...

It takes at least a couple of listens to click. There's a lot going on, so don't expect any easy hooks. However, even if you don't know it well, it should still captivate you with its towering achievement in the art of understated, graceful music.

Rating: 9/10
Stand-Outs: Listen to the whole thing

Download it for free in any format (legally of course) here: https://www.maudlinofthewell.net/
« Last Edit: November 01, 2009, 03:14:46 PM by TheOutlawXanadu »
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Offline Sigz

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Re: [Music] maudlin of the Well - Part the Second
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2009, 12:50:53 PM »
Great review of an amazing album. motW is easily one of my favorite bands ever, so this release had me psyched so much.
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Offline Space Invader

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Re: [Music] maudlin of the Well - Part the Second
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2009, 02:48:20 PM »
I bow to you ToX for introducing me to this excellent FREE release.
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