ALBUM REVIEW: And The Dead Tree Gives No Shelter – Oh Hiroshima
And The Dead Tree Gives No Shelter presents all the hallmarks of OH HIROSHIMA’s iconic feel, with the duo Jakob Hemström and Oskar Nilsson delving deep into their creative juices to fill their fifth record with lust new sounds. The refinement of their skill and the evocative nature of their soundscapes, with the addition of a multitude of contributing artists has culminated in a sprawling, poignant and eclectic record fro OH HIROSHIMA.
And The Dead Tree Gives No Shelter themes of desperateness at the diminishing of what gives us life, coupled with the faint hope of the community that still gives us meaning, creating a strange juxtaposition. The emotional heart of the album is within the central image of the dead tree, a metaphor for the slow diminishing of the world under our destructive way of living. Yet there isn’t just despair, there’s much in the world left to live for, if we only take the call to arms and the call to wonder into better ways of being.
With that in mind, the scope of the record is expansive and bold, not something you wouldn’t expect from OH HIROSHIMA but it feels like the approach has mindfully chartered with inclusion of keys, reeds, brass, and strings. The lifting up of these songs with the help of many means the effectiveness of the records is triple fold. Servant Of All is the perfect opener, with it’s layer upon layer of wondrous instrumentation and it’s easy chant that will no doubt be called out across the crowds at many a live show.
There are many moments when the record wants you to settle in and take your time in the musing. Angelos and Ivory Tower both present an easy handling of time, allowing the message and the tone to slowly unfold. Skeleton Key also benefits from a lamenting that seems to sigh while it gently takes it’s time to softly pull you into its pensive melody.
While some tracks function best with unhurried unfurling of the greater tune, others push to be heard with a little more urgency. Meridian and Tree Of Life are equally enchanting. Tree Of Life is gleaming like the first light after a thunderstorm. It’s the lifeblood of album, a turning of the tide towards something more forward facing than looking back. The crescendo is especially special, a treat for the midway point in the record. Meridian is a perfect second song on the track listing, with a defiant rhythm and intricate interlaced and overlapping melodic ideas. It’s somewhat alien and yet entirely earthly feel gives it an uncanny feel that draws you in and evokes countless images.
Likewise, the mammoth, booming soundscapes within Broken Sunlight are a real treat. There’s a feast on offer from the instrumental barrage of OH HIROSHIMA. The bass booms, grooves and thunders; the melody is passed from strings to vocal, ebbing and flowing between the gravelling rhythms and the chiming harmony.
To book end the record against the might of Servant Of All there is Exit Cloud, a swaying, airy trip through the atmosphere. There’s a little thunder in there too, a storm about to break against the drip-dropping of reeds and strings. Again, more deft arrangements that really allow the scope of OH HIROSHIMA’s music to really reach a new level of artistry. It’s this final push feels euphoric, hopeful and a little dangerously inspired. The world around us may be in dire need of nourishment, but the rain is coming: we are all here and listening for it.
OH HIROSHIMA have done it again with And The Dead Tree Gives No Shelter. Easily flowing from shimmering and light, to deep and drudging, the story they’ve woven on this record is both poignant and thoroughly enjoyable. Masterfully colourful, deftly arranged, this is a record for all seasons.
Rating: 8/10
And The Dead Tree Gives No Shelter is set for release on June 5th via Pelagic Records.
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