Plum Green – Somnambulistic
(Nefarious Industries)
Reviewed by Tim Gruar.
Are dreams a way of processing the unresolved problems of the day or some bald revelation of our deepest fears, values and beliefs? Maybe there are darker elements injecting themselves into our nocturnal environs whilst we slumber? These are the themes Melbourne based, Kiwi born, atmospheric dream folk artist Plum Green explores on this album of salacious and sinister somnium.
“A siren trapped in a mortal body,” wrote our very own Sarah Kidd, back in 2019, “Green’s music often harbours a razor-sharp edge; it’s provocative in nature just as she is.” That voice which “aches with the ocean’s desire to connect” grows richer and more powerful with every recording she makes.
Unfortunately, her previous releases, ‘Sound Recordings’, ‘Karma’, ‘Rushes’ and ‘The Red’ all suffered from less than perfect production. But this time she’s got it just right. That’s due to some high-quality production from long-term collaborator Daniel J. Cross at Melbourne’s The Pool Room. Cross is also Green’s regular guitarist and provides much of the dark, droning overtones that haunt these simple but perfectly formed guitar led pieces. His ears are in tune wiht the narrative this time.
These often-cinematic soundscapes are also fleshed out by contributions from a string quartet (engineered into the mix by Jesse Oberin), a cameo from the Melbourne Town Hall Grand Organ and various world music friends, like Tonal Noir from Macedonia and Valentina Veil (VV & The Void) from Berlin, of whom Green met whilst touring in Europe a few years back. It’s not entirely obvious where the Town Hall organ appears but when it does, the obvious cliches are avoided as it adds to the overall sonic palates created.
‘Somnambulistic’, a reference to sleepwalking, is a welcome stylistic shift for Green. While guided by guitar, her voice travels through vast walls of sound guitar and vibrato soundscapes. Lyrically, Green continues to summon ghosts and spectres, dark magic and other gothic creatures of the night, manipulating them through the ether like the dancing ecclesiastical vapours from a thurible as the boat boy leads a procession.
All nine tracks are singular, yet fragmented dreams that come together to make one overarching dream as a narrative. Together, each song flows into the next supporting a conceptual theme, intended to create comfort through “a giant protection spell against the horrors of the world”.
“Don’t let the view decay you,” she warns through the minacious poetry of ‘Eyes Shut’, “Don’t stare to hard into the light. Your body will betray you… To get through the night, you may have to close your eyes”. This nightmare scene is never explained in full. It’s a template for any scary scenario. And in that sense, perhaps even more menacing. This is a common thread that runs through the fabric of this collection. You have to wonder how much of the recent Covid incarcerations have impacted the creation process of this Melbourne resident. Then there were the Trump years, the ongoing horrors in Afghanistan, BREXIT, endless cases of sexual abuse in both Australian politics and football, and many more headlines to choose from over the years this work was created. Take your pick. Any one of our modern traumas could have provided a muse for her usual cannon of minacious music. In turn this has strengthened her resolve to guide this journey through the undeniable sorrows of our current world and back out into the light on the other side.
‘Raspberry Vine’ begins this selection, with slow, menacing cello chords that creep across the ears like an unseen threat that prowls closely outside the window. ‘Come in closer,” invites Green, an unsettling invitation that begins the track. If you think about it, sweet fruit hangs tempting on a string of barbs, the mix of pleasure and pain. Or is this teasing, dark poetry luring you into ever-deepening entrapment?
One of the most beautiful pieces is ‘People Of The Snow’. With almost uplifting choral harmonies, created with some expert reverb and layering, Green’s voice floats like a warm mist across a lake, enveloping you in a false sense on security, leaving you unprepared for the next songs. This is amore comforting dream, amongst the darker nightmares.
‘Walk Against The Wind’ is the next single to be released. This one is a more conventional offering, with a slight nod to Trent Reznor and his compatriots. The sparse piano that forms the bride between the guitar notes creates a feeling of tenuous tiptoeing – an attempt to slip away and escape.
“How do I resist,” asks Green on the darkly disturbing single ‘White Kitten’, a dark, devious twist on Alice’s curious pursuit of the infamous white rabbit. The slow, deep cello chords are classic horror tones, spine chilling, skin crawling. Instead of running away from you, says Green, the White Kitten runs towards you. The kitten invites you into something more sinister. “To see what’s going on …to see who you are and love you anyway’.
Is Green speaking to ghosts of the past on ‘Grave Snuggler’? This is not the normal reaction of late night seances. It’s a more a peaceful approach, acknowledging ancestors, willing them to remain alive, not to fade or be forgotten.
If ever you were to fall backwards into music, then the blankets of ethereal harmonies and deliberate dark tensions on ‘Here We Go’ will catch you. Imagine descending on a slow float, through clouds of sonic fog, to come to rest gently on a forest floor.
Although it loosely translates as ‘Beautiful Night’ (a love song of sorts) the arrangement of closer ‘Belleza Nocturne’, by contrast, hints at Green’s folk music routes and visit to Eastern Europe. Without specifically identifying exactly where, we find clues in this Romani nursery rhyme. Perhaps this is a paean to the even-tide. You can imagine a roaring fire in a forest clearing, with a coven circling and chanting, like a beguiling spell to release upon the unsuspecting.
‘Somnambulistic’ is, by far Plum Green’s best effort to date. It’s dark, poetic, alluring. A tempting yet slightly sinister listen. It will beguile you. The music is exquisitely crafted and seeps into the soundtrack of your subconscious. There is no doubt nefarious forces are at play here but after a few listens, you’ll be helpless to resist them. Submit, soak it up, enjoy the dreams while you can. Never wake. Keep your eyes shut! No peeking.
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