Artist: Waltz and Wyatt (Eli Waltz & Hannah Wyatt)
Album: Waltz and Wyatt
Label: Recorded and released independently
Release Date: 9/1/2022
Location: Washington D.C and Washington, United States
We are introduced to the two with Prelude No. 2, a beautiful marriage of violin, guitar and banjo that echoes Eli and Hannah’s own meeting. One gets the feeling that something is commencing—a relationship has begun like the start of a new day with new tales and songs coming to life that will unfold and conclude in their own sunsets. It’s a symphony of beginnings that has within it the seeds of endings. It’s a foreshadowing of the sounds that follow.
A gentle guitar sets the pace for the two part lullaby that is Dreams, an illustration of the dead parts of ourselves, seemingly lost to time and swimming in visions at night—these images are often forgotten again when we awake. Eli’s soft cadence captures us in hypnagogia, a state where his fairy tale is both vivid and ephemeral.
The well known idea of howling at the moon is contrasted with yawning at the sun, after which we emerge again into the world where we know that things will grow old. A foresight focused on that which rusts renders waking itself a tired song with melodies indistinguishable from ticking clocks, signaling recurring moments. Eli lulls us back to bed with sleepy tears, where we find release in the knowing that good memories are on the horizon.
Next, we find ourselves in the cold soundscapes of Blood Mountain where Hannah’s ghostly prose depict the beautiful memories we keep frozen, knowing someday they will melt like snow in our hair. We are passengers with her on an icy road, passing people on the journey who we’ll never see again. With a ghastly brood, she contemplates the fading of souvenirs and the blood that must eventually pour out from living forms.
Singapore Sling insists that being alive and feeling the sting on your flesh from past relationships with people and moments are one in the same. We are encouraged to make decisions based on the knowledge that “when push comes to shove, there’s hate and there’s love,” and the acceptance of this, along with all that fades and returns, is peace. This moment in the EP is a celebration of forgiveness, moving into a space where things change for the better and fruit is growing after winter. That which occurred before was preparation for what’s coming forth now.
The last motif on this record is Rosie, the hypothetical future child who sounds the dinner bell, calling us to be aware of what’s ready and what’s to come. Eli speaks of the rewards we can become familiar with. And the songs that were “tired” on Dreams are now vibrant and worth all of our efforts.
Waltz and Wyatt was recorded remotely, with Eli and Hannah sending songs back and forth from Washington State and Washington D.C..They met online, with Hannah reaching out to Eli regarding performances he’d shared and a resonance was found between them.They shared influences and tastes which led to these five perfectly ordered orchestrations.
Listen to the album:
Bandcamp
Spotify
