Kali Malone’s sixth album may be considered her most accessible work thus far, but it would be beneficial to provide some background information before doing so.
This is the sequel to the 2023 album Does Spring Hide Its Joy, which only had three tracks that were all variations of the same piece and lasted over three hours. The album featured Malone playing a sine wave oscillator along with cello and guitar. In comparison, her 2018 album Arched In Hysteria was much more difficult to approach, with harsh and discordant tones layered with the sounds of a malfunctioning amplifier. Another 2018 release, titled Organ Dirges 2016-2017, was a compilation with a self-explanatory title. Malone’s music falls somewhere between modern classical and avant-garde drone rock, as she studied electroacoustic composition at Stockholm’s Royal College of Music. Her main collaborator is her husband, Stephen O’Malley from Sunn O))). In an interview with the Guardian in 2023, she expressed her excitement about hearing the noise created by five gardeners all using leaf-blowers at once. She believes that there is beauty in all sounds and it’s up to our perception to determine if we experience it as music.
Notice is thus served that Malone is unlikely to win a coveted slot on Spotify’s Hot Hits UK playlist in the foreseeable future. Her most famous celebrity fan might be Radiohead’s Thom Yorke – who interviewed her at length for a fanzine he put together in 2019 – but her oeuvre clearly speaks more to the wildly leftfield aspects of his taste than to his Glastonbury-headlining side.
Compared to its previous release, All Life Long is significantly shorter at 78 minutes and consists of 12 compositions arranged for choir, brass, and pipe organ – Malone’s primary instrument. However, she has not included this instrument in her recordings for the past five years. This could be seen as a rebellious act, considering Malone’s controversial organ performances in churches in France which have faced opposition from a far-right Catholic group called Civitas. This group even caused the cancellation of one of her concerts in Brittany by occupying the church and making threats. In her interviews, which provide insights into the cultural significance of 15th-century meantone organ tuning, Malone appears to have a strong fascination with the instrument and its capabilities.
It’s tempting to wonder what the aforementioned religious integralists might make of the two vocal pieces on All Life Long, on which unaccompanied choir the Macadam Ensemble sound as if they’re performing a liturgy, albeit using Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben’s essay In Praise of Profanation and Arthur Symons’ 1901 poem The Crying of Water, from which the album also takes its name. Listeners with rock-trained ears, meanwhile, might expect a heavy metal band to strike up midway through each.
Malone may find both the essay and the poem appealing for different reasons. The essay explores the transformation of sacred elements into secular ones, while the poem’s portrayal of the sea’s never-ending mournful sound could be compared to the somber tone of All Life Long. Throughout the album, Malone’s organ pieces gradually change and repeat certain textures and harmonies, occasionally incorporating moments of dissonance that are less intense than in her previous work. She often resolves into a single sustained chord, creating a trance-like effect as heard in “No Sun to Burn.”
Reworded: When incorporating brass into the music, one must contemplate the inherent qualities of the instruments. While the tone may still be somber like the organ pieces, it carries a more emphatic quality, almost as if a faint echo of a celebratory announcement lingers within it.
Although it may seem simple, this music does not lack emotion or feeling. There is a poignant sense of sadness in Prisoned on Watery Shore, while Moving Forward evokes a peaceful and reflective mood. The music also has a unique adaptability. When listened to through headphones at a high volume, the organ pieces can be overwhelming and transportive, drawing you in and temporarily blocking out the outside world. However, when played at a lower volume through speakers, they serve as effective ambient music, creating a calm atmosphere in your surroundings.
Despite its appearance as challenging for those who typically prefer mainstream music, All Life Long actually requires minimal effort from the listener. All you need to do is allow yourself to be drawn in.
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Source: theguardian.com
