Inwards Opened The Floor
Raash, 2020
8/10
Listen to Inwards Opened The Floor
An Israeli and British ensemble who make sounds that you’re not likely to hear anywhere else, Staraya Derevnya make noise that’s steeped in psychedelia, but is also open to punk, folk, Krautrock and plenty of other atypical ideas on this 4th album.
“On How The Thorny Orbs Got Here” starts with talking in a mysterious, nearly sci-fi landscape of blurry repetition, hypnotic guitar lines and a psychedelic haze of jazz nods, and “‘Chirik’ Is Heard From The Rooftops” follows with an eccentric experimental delivery where Tom Wheatley’s plucked double bass and Maria Blatstein’s playful piano populate the wordless vocals and post-punk influences.
An album where no tracks resemble each other- or anything anywhere for that matter- “Hogweed Is Done With Buckwheat” plows forward with agile percussion, a mix of whispering and various yelping, and an overall ominous quality to the synth noises and fuzzed out folk stabs, while “Burning Bush And Apple Saucer” takes on a more minimalist approach where gentle vocals align with cello from Ran Nahmias, giving the track a mesmerizing, orchestral appeal.
“Forgot What Was Important” ends the listen just as adventurous as it started, where ambience and mood are key in an exit that sounds like it might come over the AM dial yet with some modern electronic layering and synth prowess.
An extremely unique collaboration that’s lyrically inspired by Saint Petersburg poet/author Arthur Molev, Gosha Hniu has been the driving force behind Staraya Derevnya since their inception, and the dozen players he’s accompanied with here help illuminate an ultra-creative vision of iconoclastic and artistic song craft.
Travels well with: Four Tet- New Energy; Waterless Hills- The Great Mountain