`A Hymn Without a Sound` is the debut album from Berlin indie all-star band The Morning Stars, consisting of Barbara Morgenstern, Alex Paulick (Kreidler, Coloma), Sebastian Vogel (Kante, Britta), and Felix Müller-Wrobel (Kante, Sport).
We are introduced to this release through `One Of The Doors` which has an initial feeling of anxiousness, disquiet or nervousness which then melds into a kind of release. It has a jazz come Talking Heads stop start vibe. A number that I read covers “decisions and developments, the winding paths people are taking in their lives.” There`s a long lead in to `Can`t Stand Up` which primarily felt akin to a jam session but then follows an almost dual vocal stream of consciousness which blossoms into a sense of euphoria with harmonic singing.
`Like This` begins with some intricate guitar chords and some recurring chant like rhythmical vocals that develop into a gentle mantra before becoming more dreamlike as the track evolves. We have a song in `Scars` that is filled with life experiences where the lyrical content seems like a transfer of lived wisdom shared over a captivating aural accompaniment.
The wonderfully titled `Chainsaw Fiddle` has a pulsing percussive heartbeat with guitar shades and vocals that seem detached but with a warm inviting appealing resonance. There was an underlying apprehension or tension at the core of `Trap`. A musical journey or voyage with hesitancy in the vocal delivery. A tale of a couple whose lives seem entwined possibly romantically and emotionally.
The album concludes with `The Everything` which commences with a morse code texture, funky bassline and rim tapped percussive beat. The shared vocals arrive when least expected at almost the halfway mark and are tranquil and relaxing with the repeated lyric of “A Hymn Without a Sound” which is the title of the album and maybe a ruminative inner or silent devotion.
`A Hymn Without a Sound` is a charming and charismatic listen with its jagged angular funky jazz tinged dreamy tone. It has a fragility throughout and shares some subtle philosophical or theological themes.
Rating 8.5/10
