Everlovely Lightningheart was a band (even though championed by Hydra Head for some time) that exists in virtual obscurity. And considering what this collective offers people, aside from a bunch of limited releases (one of which includes an LP that is still only limited to 5 or so copies), the challenging soundscapes on their albums beg to be heard. Sein Weal Tallion Rue is, besides being a posthumous release, a beauty of a album that is for now limited to just 400 or so copies on vinyl and an even smaller amount on CD, and while the album is not for everyone, it is the type of release that deserves attention.
For those unfamiliar with the group, Everlovely Lightningheart usually compose pieces of music that range from what could be characterized as field recordings to pieces that are more recognizably closer to more traditional definitions of songs. Sein Weal Tallion Rue is a good example of the latter direction of material that the group produces with it actually has a kindred similarity (in execution and mood) to Faith Coloccia's latest outfit (Mamiffer). Being a sucker for rain (it is one of the most soothing sounds for these tinnitus blighted ears), "Minge And Marrow" immediately takes a warm place in my heart and even though the sound is not kept up throughout the length of the composition, the droning sounds are lush and immensely gratifying to hear while the piano is an equally welcome component to the experience.
The animal sounds which introduce "3064 Victoria Theiodora" seemingly establish a "nature" type theme to the album, at least in part, as the mellow piano quickly establishes itself as the early focal point to the song while other bits to the sonic tapestry like electronic sounds, percussion, and guitars all add quite a bit of color to the whole experience. Admittedly, I am not expert on piano based compositions, but this is certainly a pleasing song to my musical sensibilities. "Yarrow Lophophora" is an interesting piece of sonic droning with intriguing swirls of sonic textures and various tapping sounds that resolves in more piano driven section of the piece while "Alexandrian" has a quality that is more akin to the more abstract aspects of Everlovely Lightningheart with random noises creating the soundscape with little melodic content at all, that is until the string section shocks with its abrupt but memorable appearance.
Sein Weal Tallion Rue might just be the most musically accessible record from Everlovely Lightningheart, and even though the outfit is no longer producing material, there are still a few posthumous releases on the way to sate those that fall in love with this album (also the first album from Mamiffer, Hirror Enniffer, is also a logical extension from this record). Incidentally, fans of Mamiffer might find this album rather enjoyable as well. Hydra Head still has both formats of Sein Weal Tallion Rue available if people are interested in checking out music that while being out of the ordinary, it is equally extraordinary. Everlovely Lightningheart offer one of the more soothing records that one can hear, and the delicate melodies that find their home on Sein Weal Tallion Rue may indoctrinate quite a few new listeners into their thrall.
