Balmorhea's first album for Deutsche Grammophon is even more stripped back than 2017's
Clear Language, with the group returning to the original lineup of co-founders Rob Lowe and
Michael Muller, along with a few guest musicians. Far from the anthemic, drum-heavy post-rock of 2012's
Stranger or the rougher, more experimental pieces on
Clear Language,
The Wind is a gentle, meditative set of compositions inspired by the environment. The duo recorded the album at
Nils Frahm's Saal 3 studio in Berlin, and it was co-produced, mixed, and mastered by
Jonathan Low at
Aaron Dessner's Long Pond studio in upstate New York. The tracks all seem to capture moments from different times of day as well as the four seasons, though not necessarily following a linear cycle. The album opens and closes with pieces that feature portions of a French translation of Gervase's Otia imperialia, recited by Lili Cuzor. Early highlight "Rose in Abstract" begins with a mysterious pipe organ sequence before the suspenseful pianos are joined by
Clarice Jensen's solemn cello playing and later shaded by Morris Kliphuis' ethereal horns. Like a lot of
Balmorhea's music, it sounds handcrafted, with the physical creaks of the instruments audible, matching the tone of the album's theme regarding the fragility of nature. Pieces like "Landlessness" and "The Myth" focus on rich, autumnal acoustic guitars, accompanied by flowing strings and wordless vocals. The more piano-based selections, like "Evening" and "V," tend to be colder and more reserved. "Ne Plus Ultra" is the brightest and most springlike moment on the album, with its guitars conjuring up images of tall, swaying waves of grains. "The Crush" stands tall with a majestic piano melody as well as chilling, distant vocals and a hazy foam of additional instruments.
Balmorhea's major-label debut is appropriately one of their most accessible efforts, but it's also one of their most intimate, and just as expressive and evocative as the rest of their body of work. ~ Paul Simpson