London legend Olenka Krakus and the tribe of musicians making up the Autumn Lovers are possibly the best thing to come out of London. Ever.
I'm a little biased: I work closely with Krakus and her bandmates. But I was a big advocate of Krakus before I knew her so well. Proof? Check out this wall post from 2007. Yes, almost two years ago.
Krakus' music is emotional and intensely lyrical. An English PhD student, Krakus' songs sound wise beyond their years, touching on as many Eastern European themes as Canadian ones. Her self-titled album is more eclectic than the co-released Papillionette, which is folkier and friendlier.
I've sat in on some practices and it's remarkable to watch Krakus compose her songs. She'll meticulously dissect instrumental breaks with the violinist and cellist, working for hours on a one-minute piece As of late, the group's moved in a more electric indie-rock direction as the roster solidified with a drummer and electric guitarist. But since none of these new songs are recorded it's hard to communicate how much they've grown. You'll just have to see them in concert sometime soon.
This song, "Northern Lights," is a powerful, brooding ballad that builds boisterously from its meager acoustic beginnings. Krakus' haunting vocals waver carefully around whispy, gypsy-like instrumentation that grows almost infectuously to a repetitive climax before resolving somehow chillingly. It's a standout song on the self-titled and gets even more oomph when performed live, re-orchestrated by the band to include electric guitar and drums.
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She's a real slave driver, that's for sure!
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