Saloli (Mary Sutton) returns with her third album Canyon. Stepping away from her primary acoustic piano soundscapes, filled with kaleidoscopic texture, Canyon is a somewhat stripped back foray by comparison led by a MultiTrak synthesizer.
It would be remiss, if not impossible, to review this collection without giving full acknowledgement to Saloli’s Cherokee heritage, (Saloli, pronounced slowly, is the Cherokee word for squirrel) which is the lynchpin for this album. In the Cherokee culture and teachings, animals and humans have no essential difference, we co-exist with equal standing and the appropriately titled Canyon traverses a day in the life of a bear in the Smoky Mountains. It brilliantly captures the bear’s journey with eight pieces, ranging from sparse and reflective through to playful and joyful. The album artwork has been created by Sutton’s father, Cherokee painter and flute-maker Jerry Sutton. The yellow lettering is from the Cherokee Syllabary and spells Yona, meaning bear.
When listened to with the concept in mind, it is a simply brilliant album. To capture the story so beautifully and tangibly is certainly no small feat and one largely achieved by the restraint shown in using such a reduced array of sounds. The space among the sparser tracks (Lily Pad, Snake and Silhouette) is utilised with care, leaving peculiar tones to ring in the listeners ears, allowing you to fully indulge in the atmosphere created by the synthesizer and the intelligent use of a delay pedal. It creates an immersive experience for the listener and gives a sense of each note rebounding off canyon walls.
From the word go Sutton’s skill and versatility is on display with the synth being used in Waterfall both melodically and percussively to create emotion and atmosphere. If you can truly grasp the concept and allow yourself to be taken on the journey, the late-building crescendo will certainly take you to the heights of the canyon. Lily Pad, Snake and Silhouette are somewhat bewitching, the delay is used to perfection with a clever subtlety re-inforcing the sense of an echo. The notes are left to soar in the ether evoking a sense of wonder and this must surely leave the listener in awe of the way Sutton can take you to other realms so fully.
Yona is quite simply and clearly a fanfare for the album’s focus character. Its graceful melody and playful lilts will bring a smile and sense of childish joy to anyone, and it is thoroughly engaging as a stand-alone piece. Full Moon is another jaunty piece, it harks back to Waterfall with comparable percussive use of the synth, piercing what one would assume is the darkness of nightfall given the track’s title, interspersed with a staccato melody giving a sense of ‘things that come at night’. Penultimately comes Nighthawk, which is thoroughly buoyant and bordering on ‘catchy’ with a Pink Panther-esque refrain throughout. There is an almost tribal rhythm to it, giving the sense of wings moving in flight, which one could assume is absolutely the intention given the naming of the piece. Sunrise closes with a rousing intro certainly akin to the dawning of a new day and the world awakening once more, before falling into the peace of morning. Finishing with a late crescendo, similarly to opening track Waterfall, it perfectly brings the record to a full circle moment of the day beginning again.
This album is not one that would be overly accessible for listeners new to ambient music, it is a collection of sensational sounds and techniques used sympathetically to tell a story from start to finish. There are no ‘drops’, bass, drums, strings or other flourishes that are often expected somewhere within the ambient genre. The only way in which it could be improved is if the playback was gapless, but as that’s a function on most digital music platforms these days it is a very minor criticism.
Canyon demands focus to fully appreciate what Sutton has achieved and created and it will not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s certainly worth the effort and attention. Both thought provoking and fun, if you can let go of preconceptions and approach this record with an open mind, you will be rewarded.
7/10
Canyon is out July 7th via Kranky, and can be pre-ordered here.