The poetry of Emily Dickinson is hardly a stranger to modern day musical accompaniment and, this time around, it is Angela Kinczly, with her album “Silent”, who takes to the bandstand to tip her hat to the mannered words of the great American poet.
With such a source, the literacy of the lyrics was never going to be in doubt, and this indeed proves to be the case. Much like the poetry, the music on this album is both polite and reserved as if to emulate the many moods of a society more mannered than today yet, despite being decorated with such restrained musical flourishes, the resulting songs are still more than a fashion statement for the culturally advanced.
Eloquence is the name of Angela Kinczly’s game and she, with the help of her supportive cohorts, provides a solid, mostly organic, musical framework that both supports the fragile words of a ghost and provides evidence of a sympathetic understanding of the source material with the delicate interpretation of “The Proudest Trees” being likely to haunt your ears for some considerable time.
“Silent” is an album that feels genuine and, with words and music aligned in one common objective, it is also an album that interests the mind and especially suits those moments of introspection that creep up on all of us.
Best song? The purposeful “Between My Finite Eyes”.
The verdict? An appealing introspection for educated ears.