Brown Angel: Promisemaker (Sleeping Giant Glossolalia)
Purchased new, mail order direct from label
Some disclosures: I've played with this band. I'm even thanked in the liner notes. And now that I'm reading more closely, it seems that I appear on this album. How about that. Explanation to come.
I will also point out that on a few occasions, the person or band I'm writing about reads my comments. Thankfully I don't think I've written anything especially dumb or trite on those occasions.
It came as a surprise when my Facebook feed informed me there was a new Brown Angel album. Bandleader Adam MacGregor has been in and out of the US for some years now; his wife is in the State Department. I think he's back in Mumbai now. During his most US stay, Brown Angel played a few gigs with a new bassist.
Well, it seems as though most of the recording dates to 2018-2019. My contribution came a later, but I can't recall exactly how long ago. I'm credited as playing contrabass clarinet, but actually it was bass clarinet. Honestly, I had to relisten to the track ("Who Wants a Dreamer?", the opener) to even detect my contribution. I think I'm heard briefly towards the end of the cut, but I would have never known it without being told. Adam had gotten in touch with me about recording some noisy bass clarinet, which I was happy to do. He never told me for what purpose, so now I guess I know.
Mark this down as another single contribution to an album project, something I seem to be doing recently. Greg Hoy, Spotlights, Microwaves (on a previous record, and the upcoming one as well), and Brown Angel previously. I could get used to that. Several of those were recorded at home using my own equipment.
Brown Angel got some mileage out of being dubbed "Pittsburgh's Most Depressing Band" (well earned, I would add). There's no speed metal to be sure, but not everything on this is a slow grinder. What I guess is the second half of "It Was Hard (Piteous Trench)" is more driving, but not necessarily any less bleak.
You have to have real dedication to maintain such a dark vision. (Though as I wrote that I thought, you need to have dedication to be a musician period.) And it might not come as a surprise that Adam and drummer John Roman are perfectly lovely, (as far as I can tell) well-adjusted people. (I don't know original bassist Mike Rensland as well, though I did say hello to him at John's recent wedding.) Adam is a great hang, funny, smart, enjoys spinning a good story. I look forward to those times he's stateside.
I recalled, when writing about an earlier MacGregor band Creation Is Crucifixion, that Adam had said their intention was to be completely unlistenable. Well, how do you critically react to a band has that intention? Brown Angel is a dark, menacing band, and they succeed in that respect. Production sounds good here, though as you might expect, the guitars are pretty much up front. James Plotkin (Khanate0 mastered the sessions, which I'm sure added to the clarity.
One complaint: guys, if I'm on this, maybe tell me it was coming out?