Meet Clever Reviews: Reflections of Death; Phase One
It's a late winter evening, Ash Wednesday. The church smells of wax and dampness. An Italian gentleman wearing Brut toes the pedals of an organ and looks down his glasses at the sheets before him. Men proceed through the aisles gripping gilded staffs, their robes fluttering at their ankles. Candles flit their light up stained panels of glass--green, purple, gold--and when a draft falls over them, their wicks cough wisps of black smudge.
There's a chalice filled with red wine, another with holy water. It's not a funeral, but Jesus Christ, who died?
The back doors open as the music stops. A man enters the silence wearing a denim button down and a bolo tie. He's got gold-tinted aviators. His hair's slick as hell. He's got a jade-green acoustic guitar. Damn, is he gonna play that thing here?
I guess he is. He's getting right up there with the organ player. Now he's saying a few things to him, the Italian guy, the organ player. The organ player nods as the slick man shows him some fingering on the neck of his guitar. Yes, the organ player's gonna nail it. They're both slick as hell, the two of them.
The priest has already sat down. He's wearing one of those smiling frowns, a knowing expression if I ever saw one. The Deacon approaches the slick looking guitarist and offers him the chalice of wine. Slick-guy bows and accepts it graciously. He takes a long gulp. He removes his gold aviators and squints into the light as he inches toward the mic. At last he speaks.
"Good evening, everyone. My name is Grim Slim. I'm here to promote my new album, Reflections of Death; Phase One. Happy Ash Wednesday."
What follows is strange and charming. He's certainly a folk guitarist. The songs are certainly catchy. But whatever he showed that organ player is dark and funereal.
It's reflective and nostalgic. But it's novel too. His lyrics are mournful and defeated.
His words centre on loss and remorse, but you can't help but feel something else.
He gets to "God + Man" and belts the words at the congregation--women in sweaters, boys with red bow ties, girls with curled hair, men with big, heavy watches. Ripples form in the bronze dishes of holy water. Ladies clutch their rosaries to their chests as they watch the man sing.
In the end, there is silence. Grim Slim lowers his guitar and thanks the organ player in hushed tones. The crowd responds:
"Amen."
DJG.
Watch for Grim Slim's new album on Mother's Day, May 14th, 2017.
There's a chalice filled with red wine, another with holy water. It's not a funeral, but Jesus Christ, who died?
The back doors open as the music stops. A man enters the silence wearing a denim button down and a bolo tie. He's got gold-tinted aviators. His hair's slick as hell. He's got a jade-green acoustic guitar. Damn, is he gonna play that thing here?
I guess he is. He's getting right up there with the organ player. Now he's saying a few things to him, the Italian guy, the organ player. The organ player nods as the slick man shows him some fingering on the neck of his guitar. Yes, the organ player's gonna nail it. They're both slick as hell, the two of them.
The priest has already sat down. He's wearing one of those smiling frowns, a knowing expression if I ever saw one. The Deacon approaches the slick looking guitarist and offers him the chalice of wine. Slick-guy bows and accepts it graciously. He takes a long gulp. He removes his gold aviators and squints into the light as he inches toward the mic. At last he speaks.
"Good evening, everyone. My name is Grim Slim. I'm here to promote my new album, Reflections of Death; Phase One. Happy Ash Wednesday."
What follows is strange and charming. He's certainly a folk guitarist. The songs are certainly catchy. But whatever he showed that organ player is dark and funereal.
It's reflective and nostalgic. But it's novel too. His lyrics are mournful and defeated.
His words centre on loss and remorse, but you can't help but feel something else.
He gets to "God + Man" and belts the words at the congregation--women in sweaters, boys with red bow ties, girls with curled hair, men with big, heavy watches. Ripples form in the bronze dishes of holy water. Ladies clutch their rosaries to their chests as they watch the man sing.
In the end, there is silence. Grim Slim lowers his guitar and thanks the organ player in hushed tones. The crowd responds:
"Amen."
DJG.
* * * * *
Watch for Grim Slim's new album on Mother's Day, May 14th, 2017.
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