The Shimmering Carnelians (brainchild of indie artist Adam Michael) have just released their second EP,
Rise -- which follows-up 2023's
The Doorway. The three-song set offers up an interesting mix of folk, alternative, and ambient styles blended into one cohesive sound. The opening track, "Manna Glen," is a nearly three-minute-long instrumental that features a softly picked acoustic guitar as the backbone, but has a lot of reverb, swells, and other ambient noises fading in and out. It's almost unsettling when the overdriven guitar swells and then falls off, but there is also something beautiful and artistic in this dissonance. It manages to elicit feelings in a moment where no lyrics exist to do so. There is a complete atmospheric vibe here. "New Life" is a little more straight-froward, but also contains a lot of additional ambience, some unexpected screams, and surprising vocal melodies. I'd call it my favorite of this trio. The title track clocks in at nearly eight minutes, and unfortunately feels even longer. This one was a big swing creatively. Musically, it's the most beautiful song present and the clean guitar fills sound incredible. Vocally, however, it's the weakest. The melodies are out there at times, and the intentional blue notes only serve to distract more so than helping the composition.
The
Rise EP is one of the most creative and unique collection of songs I've heard in quite some time. That's not meant as a slight either. I love to see musical artists stretch boundaries and try new things. Adam Michael and The Shimmering Carnelians accomplish this in spades. I wouldn't say there are any bad moments in the EP, but there are certainly some moments that will be more difficult to digest for some listeners. Fans of more ambient genres of music should most definitely give this short EP a listen. More than just a musical release, this one is a true artistic endeavor.
- Review date: 8/9/24, written by
Michael Weaver of Jesusfreakhideout.com
(JFH Sponsor Spot)
Record Label: None
Album length: 3 tracks: 13 minutes, 46 seconds
Street Date: July 31, 2024
Buy It: Amazon Music
- Manna Glen (2:46)
- New Life (3:13)
- Rise (7:47)
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Jesus Freak Hideout (Michael Weaver): Where did you get the idea for the name The Shimmering Carnelians? It's quite fitting for your sound.
Adam Michael: Thank you. I knew I wanted the "band color" to be orange, so I researched different objects that represented that color. I liked "carnelian" both as an object and name, so I brainstormed ways that a carnelian could be symbolic of what I wanted to accomplish. I connected it to the building of memorials in ancient Israel, to give thanks and remember important events. I added "Shimmering" to describe the sounds I wanted to use.
JFH (Michael): Your sound is very eclectic and relies a lot on ambience, reverb, and swells. What sort of influences do you have?
Adam: In relation to the atmospheric sounds, I drew heavily on faith-oriented bands like Hillsong United and U2, as well as ambient music by secular artists like Brian Eno and Aphex Twin. Adding ambient effects, even if they are not part of the main riff, can change how a song feels, and how the words impact the listener.
JFH (Michael): Music is obviously an artform, but Rise comes off as a work of art. Was that part of your approach?
Adam: At some point, I decided to release EPs with 3-5 songs each, that have consistency lyrically and sonically. The three songs on Rise were initially written as separate singles, but after deciding to release songs through EPs, I realized they naturally formed a cohesive unit. Even though only two of the songs have lyrics, they sequentially form a narrative with an introduction, struggle, and solution.
JFH (Michael): I find the cover art to be quite interesting as well. It looks like water splashing in front of a light source. What's happening here? Did you photograph this?
Adam: I used the visual art of the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Psychedelic Art periods as inspiration. The color I associate with reverb effects is a navy blue-ish hue, like you can see at night. I searched for this color on a rainy night in Ohio. I found a light post that made a pretty scene through my car window, with the rain streaming down the glass, and the dark blue sky in the background. It seemed like a good fit for what I imagined while listening to the reverb swells on Rise.
JFH (Michael): I appreciate the dissonance of the overdriven guitar in "Mana Glen," would call "New Life" my favorite, and love the clean guitar sound/tone in "Rise." What would you call your favorite part of this EP?
Adam: "New Life" captured a feeling from a time in life that I found hard to express without music, so I felt that was an accomplishment. On "Rise" (the title track), I was glad that I was able to include many different instruments and sounds in what started as an ambient track, especially the swells, piano, and distorted guitars.
JFH (Michael): Do you have any upcoming shows you'd like to promote?
Adam: Right now, I am just doing covers during open mic nights. My wife and I are travelling around the country, so I try to find places wherever we stay. I record the covers and post them online. It is a lot easier to reach people through social media, than try to get booked for a show and just hope for the best.
JFH (Michael): The lyrics are very faith-centered. Did you have any particular verses or scriptures that stood out to you, or that inspired you, as you were writing these songs?
Adam: On "New Life," Genesis 2:24 describing a man and a woman joining as one flesh was particularly important, since it indicates that the marital relationship is not to be torn apart. On "Rise," I referenced Psalm 6:7 for "my eyes waste away", John 10:10 for "the thief destroys", and 1 Peter 5:8 for 'a devouring lion".