Wound Turned To Light
Redshift, 2023
8/10
Listen to Wound Turned To Light
The Toronto composer James Rolfe recruits a handful of vocalists to these 19 text focused tracks that are guided by Lara Dodds-Eden’s precise piano playing.
The warm spirit of “Marigold” opens the listen with Alex Samaras’ elegant voice amid the intimate keys for the hushed beauty, and the title track follows with Samaras’ talk-singing suiting the radiating piano progressions that mesmerize.
In the middle, “Bombastic” is a bouncy, playful piece fueled by Andrew Adridge’s charming pipes and the lively keys, while “Set Me As A Seal” showcases Jeremy Dutcher’s eloquent voice that benefits much from Dodds-Eden’s dreamy finger acrobatics.
Residing near the end, “Songs Of Joy” is a poetic moment of grace and rich song craft, and “Spirit Tree” exits with Samaras’ distinct delivery and the bare yet impactful piano.
An extremely literate body of work that touches on opera, classical and experimental ideas, Rolfe’s vision is executed here with tremendous personality and dexterity.
Travels well with: Paramorph Collective- All We’re Made Of Is Borrowed; Christopher Whitley-Describe Yourself