Beautiful Broken World is the latest album by The Pull Of Autumn, that is Daniel Darrow's magical musical project, that as usual has a stellar line-up of collaborators, that this time includes Luke Skyscraper James, Phil Parfitt, Stuart Moxham, Adrian Sherwood, Doug Wimbish and Mark Stewart among others. Daniel is a former member of Johanna's House Of Glamour and is based in Rhode Island.
The album opens with the somber orchestral intro of Beautiful Broken World that feels like the opening of a modern Symphony, timorous with a foreboding edge, signaling entry into the musical world created by Daniel Darrow and his collaborators, who are ready to take us on another musical journey.
She Writes The Words features Leigh Gregory on vocals, on this bewitching pastoral chamber folk tale of a poetess who beguiles as she entrances you, as the violin adds magical emphasis to re-ignite the light within you.
Come Winter has Stuart Moxham bringing life to this Scott Walker style, lush tale of those winter nights, Strings accented by Spanish guitar, occasional percussion bursts, trying to alleviate the dark lonely nights.
Moonbeams with The Family Band is a slow sepulchral gaze toward the night sky, with gently precise percussion wrapped in strings, for the pained words slowly elegiacally unfurling.
Lost Guitar features Luke Skyscraper James, of Brummy New Wave Legends Fashion, on a gentle wistful Ry Cooderesque desert blues, this is lost romantic rather than new romantic.
John Clare develops Perfect Disaster legend Phil Parfitt's exploration of John Clare's poetry that I reviewed Phil's Ep of in 2021. Phil's sonorous vocals reciting the poem against the ambient folk glory backing him, the music is as beautifully poetic as the lyrics.
Outlaw Empire was the first single from the album it features the triple treat of Mark Stewart, Doug Wimbish and Adrian Sherwood, that takes us off to a different musical sphere, dubby bass and percussion with synth lines, as a wild sax is blown, Jimmy Smith Style organ interjections of the sound of the Outlaws enforcing their Empire, who can stop The Outlaws running our governments.
Little Hands is a slow acoustic strummed child like song of wonder, featuring Bruce MacLeod, that almost feels like it should be in a Disney film, super sweet, nothing to do with the devil with the Little Hands who it might be implied Outlaw Empire was about. This is a song perfect to get little kids to sing along with or play tambourine along too.
Never Swayed is with Julius Manning on a wistful chamber folk song of loss and memory for the things as they once were. Acoustic guitar carefully picked and strummed as the strings encase the emotions within.
Moukie is the one multi-lingual song, with vocals by Mina Norouzi who sings this very sparse song in German and English, reminding me of Nico's My Only Child, this draws you deep into the deep oceans of emotions with the most minimal backing.
Images Of Light swirl through the strings, dappled keyboards intertwine with Matthey Darrow's assistance beauty shines through.
Funhouse brings back Luke Skyscraper James as a phase shifting ethereal folk singer, trying not to give into the sadness of the carny life, as last night's magic has evaporated, waiting to be summoned once more, in another field, in another place, always moving, never remaining.
You Will Live Again has the feel of a medieval madrigal or folk song as Julius Manning carefully narrates this dark tale, attempting to alleviate all that childhood pain.
Live Forever is with Once Grace Forever adding beautiful gentle wistful vocals to the minimal drum and bass style percussion with the string's ethereality cocooning us for eternity.
The album closes with In Silence, a claustrophobic ambient jazz tune, featuring Ricky Humphrey who I assume is playing the trumpet, being enveloped by the shuffled percussion, mournful piano sinking into silence.
Find out more at https://thepullofautumn.bandcamp.com/album/beautiful-broken-world https://www.facebook.com/rbmrecordsboston
