Review Summary: A gorgeous creation that combines old world technicality with new world artistry.
Have you ever seen a dying deer?
Supposedly, a deer experiencing its final moments is one of the most beautiful occurrences in nature. Granted, this could be backwoods bullsh
it used as justification for bloodlust, but it’s not particularly hard to imagine. Deer are certainly widely regarded as elegant creatures and, according to some, their mannerisms approaching death are poignant and serene. But for someone who’s never witnessed this, it would take quite some convincing - and perhaps a certain degree of desensitization - in order to implant any sort of appreciation for this underlying beauty.
One, the debut release from Russian pianist Poloniumcubes, is nothing like that whatsoever.
However, there plenty of albums that are
now widely regarded as beautiful that initially would have required a great deal of patience and convincing. Take for instance a widely acclaimed act like Godspeed You! Black Emperor. If you had never heard GY!BE before, and there was nobody to incessantly assure you of their beauty, you certainly could have been put off by any number of things. But, after enough challenging exposure and discussion, you very well could be singing their name from the mountain tops.
One isn’t like this.
One neither attempts to challenge you, nor does it demand your attention. It requires no patience, and will only give as much as you’re willing to take. Despite this description bordering on trite territory, it is fitting. To put it into perspective, consider a forest you drive by on the way to work, vacation, school, wherever. You could glance at it only in passing and think
”that’s very pretty” and not give it a second thought - the forest certainly doesn’t
try to make you notice its existence. Or, you could take the time to explore it; searching every crevice, admiring every subtlety, and taking it all in as a sort of effortless enlightenment.
Poloniumcubes' music could easily be described as effortless. Sole member Gleb Kolyadin manages to wield a deep appreciation for classical music in one hand, and poignant ambient music in the other. The result is a gorgeous creation that combines old world technicality with new world artistry. The sounds present feel untainted - like an antique linen you’re afraid to touch for fear of smudging it with your filthy fingers. Every note - every “stitch” - is added with care, and is subtle enough to avoid a passing glance, but is still visible to the prying eye. But you know what they say about stitches… if you keep pulling, if you keep prying, the whole thing might unravel in front of you.
