Scions - To Cry Out In The Wilderness
meanmj
Idée Fixe Records
As vocalist for Toronto-based experimental ensemble Scions, Cormac Culkeen harnesses their skills as a youth-minister at an LGBTQ-friendly Anglican church to channel the forces of the universe and explicitly call out issues of greed and apathy towards one another and the planet. Ranging from a quiet nod to an overwhelming roar of agreement, the music on the group’s debut album To Cry Out In The Wilderness combines minimalistic jazz with robust and soul-shaking drone-hymns— stretching and penetrating far beyond the sum of its components.
The result is both apocalyptic and oddly hopeful.
The track “Even When All Was Silent I Was Not Alone” points to a thematic thread that connects To Cry Out In The Wilderness. Lyrically, the song manages to be extremely effective with only those few words from its title, while showcasing Andrew McKelvie's arresting winds; bass and harp contributing like water flowing in droplets in the background adding to a sense of isolation. The title track, “To Cry Out In The Wilderness,” addresses the issue of having children; being part of the chain of life, in a world that is faltering, while musically exploring the band's drone, electric side, creating a continuity of life and experience.
Perhaps, in spite of destruction taking place on the surface of the world, there is a small, shimmering thread of connectivity that can still reach us all and that is what Scions is reminding us.
