~ Lyrics ~

LINKS:
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REVIEWS:
"What a (long) title for the album...giving me over 10 minutes of naturally changing pulsating drones and guitar feedbacks (on "buffalo and daughter") to think this over, before coming to the semi-drugged-mind psychedelic folk core expression. On some point this seems like how brains and brainwaves thoroughly become like roots of trees. They grow with the acoustic guitar pickings, with humming droning waves in the vocals, taking time to stretch with its mood creations...(and this especially on "black swan"). The harmony vocals on "Buffalo Forever" will possibly bring Devendra Banhart to mind for some listeners, bringing this kind of loner hippie to a tepee, which thoroughly will be smashing to pieces its wow-wow drumming...on his guitar, very distorted in mind, flesh, and wood. "Prayers for singers" makes it up with flowers, whistles, and witches-brew hummings as flipped romantic religious worships and bubbled colourful consciousnesses. Some songs are listed as dedications to life, while the first one which breaths a pause is the meditational moment; a few others are moments of waiting in vain, and are the songs of death, drooping sadly towards a certain wickedness. "Kill me again" is again a bit more communal, with a whipping and hopping ritualistic feeling in the rhythms, as a controlled wackiness, romantic-religious and keeping finger-crossed control in song while mind-losing and opening its consciousness. "Paean: Kitteridge Sam" is calm and sweet, like celebrated candy butterflies swimming in butter. The whole crowd of musicians sings along, in harmony with harmony and a bit of disharmony. "North Country Girl" is a heretic outburst heart full of romance, love, desire and wining, with troubadour guitarpickings and child playroom glockenspiel remembrances slightly dementing, and some harmonium. "Song of sorrow" is again a song of death and sadness, blowing in the winds of lost times. The same backing musicians (himself) howl along like priests, or play glockenspiel like victims of circumstances. "The golden road" sings to the full lightness of daylights again, of thoughts that first were hidden away in prison pits, while having collected so many emotions with it, its final expression becomes transcendent by its seeing light for the first time. This is once more entirely romantic, and is one of the so many more poetic moments that make my brains and heart melt again, letting me visualize all interconnecting moments, that let me write words spoiled with spotting ink that spreads their way around all that has been written and thought and imagined, becoming one with the method of the visionary artist. The last few tracks dream further away with guitar pickings. The last track, "White shroud" is a song that cries differently, and is spontaneously sung more "Japanese", -as a matter of saying- a beautiful approach; for the same reason this is the voice of a native Indian : anyhow, it is a heart singing, with the ghost and spirit-of-a-heart speaking and singing in tongues. Yes, I like this. But I must admit : I had to listen a few times before being able to start writing about it. My attention first melted so much with music and poetry and I almost lost myself completely in its coloured cocoonic bubble." Gerald, Psyche Van Het Folk

"The actual title of this album contains 50 words (approx), and ends with "Blessedhood", so I have shortened it for this review. Over-long title aside however, I have no qualms about recommending this lovely slice of lo-fi psych folk that overflows with a mellow groove and haunting songs.

Opening with "Buffalo And Daughter" a long billowing drone, to be listened to when meditating, the music undulates and slowly builds, rippling notes seemingly sparkling above the ocean of sound. Having relaxed your mind, the rest of the album is a collection of woozy and personal songs that have great charm and an individual feel.

With a hypnotic guitar motif and soft vocals, "Black Swan" is a delicate song that hangs in the air on gossamer wings, casting its spell before the earthy stomp of "Buffalo Forever" brings us back to ground, the distorted percussion and wailing flute only adding to the atmosphere. There is the aura of The Incredible String Band, in the strange vocal delivery of "Prayers For Fingers", the music creepy and lysergic, whilst the sparse musical backing of "Goodbye Boat, Hello Star" perfectly suits the sad lyrics, the sound of turning pages adding a human touch to the song. There are shades of The Neutral Milk Hotel on "Kill Me Again", a lively acid-mantra, whilst Jefferson Airplane at their quietest, seem to influence "North Country Queen", in the guitar sound at least.

Throughout this album its creator, Michael Hilde, has left in the sound of recording equipment being switched on, distorted parts, and the odd false start, all of which adds to the ragged grace of the album. Finally the wonderful wyrd folk of "White Shroud", finishes of the album in delicate splendour, one of my favourite tracks, shimmering and finally fading into bliss." Simon Lewis, Ptolemaic Terrascope

"A beautiful and hypnotic release with a super-long title that would give me RSI to type it all! This starts with a meditative drone but the rest of the cdr sticks with bedroom folk-pop set to minimal accompaniment that lies somewhere between a very wayward Tyrannosaurus Rex and the kind of stuff that used to come out on Shrimper in the '90s." Boa Melody Bar

"Michael Hilde is Almaden, he kindly sent a copy of his CD-R release on the Finnish label Lattajjaa. And also provided the longest title of any musical release that I'm aware of. A dozen mysteriously melancholic tracks in the snow. Some drone-based instrumentals, some fragile lo-fi song-like creations humming and overflowing with varying degrees of folk-based confessional insularity. Personal folk songs spun from acoustic guitar and trebly male vocal layered song/talk, stomping distortion and flutes. Late night possessions, deep depression, desperation, obsessive attachment, visions, hallucinations, spirit dances in the dark, and fleeting glimpses of bliss." George Parsons, Dream Magazine

"A few releases from Almaden have graced the RSTB mailbox and each with its own personality. Michael Hilde aka Almaden plays very much in the hermit folk style that Kyle Field and Phil Elverum have claimed as their personal sanctuary. Songs range from the expansive and meditative "Buffalo and Daughter" from an album whose name could very well devour the rest of this review so we'll call it The Dream Continues(267 Lattajjaa); ... The Dream Continues refines Hilde's style, still wafting between folk and ambience but with a steady assurance and soft cohesiveness that is strung together by the themes of Life, Meditation and Death. Almaden is a corrosive mixture eating at the conceptions of pop and folk and lighting the bedroom anthem on fire with dissonance." Raven Sings The Blues

267 lattajjaa