Yes, Nadja continues to be a frustratingly prolific group that pumps out records faster and more geographically spread out than most bands could ever dream of producing. And while that is exciting for fans of the group, it is also difficult to keep up with at times. Quite literally, Clinging to the Edge of the Sky is the newest recording by the duo that comprises Nadja (Aidan Baker and Leah Buckeroff) and is the first since their move to Europe from the great white north. A limited vinyl-only release from two European labels, Clinging to the Edge of the Sky represents somewhat of a departure for the band as well as a new start or perhaps it is a change in perspective coming from their move to their new "Old World" surroundings.
A single track, Clinging to the Edge of the Sky is an ominous turn for Nadja which contains a previously untouched upon tension while simultaneously giving an aural timbre of resigned melancholic mood. While listening to this piece, there is a strange duality to emotions that one can feel; at times, it brings a calming wave of relaxation to the listener, and at other times, the song offers an ominous foreboding hiding just out of earshot while the main arrangement toys with the aural landscape which it creates. During several points of the track, Clinging to the Edge of the Sky builds to where one might hear the emotional release or climax that blows through the tension; but, instead, the music just falls back into the plucking of the guitars and the reserving reverb that resonates and drones its way into the listener's psyche.
Nadja is sure to surprise some with Clinging to the Edge of the Sky as the record does seem somewhat a progression from their recent batch of releases in that it is a simpler arrangement with the intensity of volume a bit down the dial while the intensity of the mood is up a few notches. More experienced Nadja aficionados probably will see this as just one more step in a kind of non linear expansion of what the duo is capable of accomplishing, and it is indeed a refreshing turn on their musical path. Clinging to the Edge of the Sky is well worth tracking down as it is rather listenable and strangely infectious, but it is a limited vinyl release so do not wait if it is in your sights.
