The Whispering Woods by Saline Grace: Album Review
![The Whispering Woods by Saline Grace: Album Review](https://illustratemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/7-4-1016x1024.jpg)
Saline Graceโs fourth album, โThe Whispering Woods,โ marks a departure from the politically motivated themes of their first German-language release, โDer Meister der Intrige.โ Instead, this album takes the listener on a journey through the wild and untamed landscapes of nature, raising questions about mankindโs place within it.
Instrumentally, the record is rich and evocative, with contributions from fingerstyle guitar, piano, organ, concertina, strings, and jazzy bass and drums. Singer and multi-instrumentalist Ricardo Hoffmannโs affecting baritone leads the way as these components are braided together into a soundscape that lulls the listener into a trance. Hoffmannโs voice has depth and complexity because of his ability to switch between falsetto and a raw, emotional delivery. Saline Graceโs ability to create vivid soundscapes is prominent in โThe Whispering Woods.โ The songs paint pictures of wide forests, barren wastelands, and fathomless oceans, inviting the listener to explore these landscapes alongside the artist. Songs like โThe Evening Prayer,โ โCold War Child,โ and โWinter Heartโ demonstrate Saline Graceโs versatility and breadth. Each song on the collection is eerily ambient, immersing the listener more in the story told. The albumโs last track, โThe Whispering Woodsโ, stands out for its ability to calm and attract listeners while retaining an air of horror and mystery.
The albumโs genre-bending style incorporates elements of post-punk, gothic, dark wave, alternative music, and indie, resulting in a theatrical and intense musicality that is both captivating and ambitious.
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Photo credits: Saline Grace
Review by: Paul Woodman