Stream: SheLoom, ‘America on Fire’

Kevin Bronson on February 9th, 2016

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SheLoom began as the transatlantic collaboration between Tuscany, Italy-based Filippo Gaetani and Jordon Zadorozny of Canadian indie-rockers Blinker the Star. In 2013, Eric Matthews, the songwriter-composer best known for his work in Cardinal and his five solo albums (including two in the 1990s for Sub Pop), joined the long-distance fray. The trio call their new album “The Baron of the Fjord” filmic, and it’s not false advertising. A sprawling, occasionally mesmerizing beast, it orbits the prog-pop and orchestral rock worlds, with the intricate arrangements of SheLoom’s 2011 debut “Seat of the Empire” taking on an even more lush feel typical of Matthews’ work. Unlike the image of the trio, the album doesn’t feel like a collage. “Baron of the Fjord,” which was made mostly by passing sound files back and forth using that amazing device known as email (there was one rushed recording session), sounds like a soundtrack waiting for a good script. In other news, we forgot last fall to wish “It’s Heavy in Here” a happy 20th birthday. Sound a trumpet.

||| Stream: “America’s on Fire” and “Corridors”