Solasta – A Cure for the Curious
Self Released – 21 September 2018
Sometimes it’s refreshing to find a band that’s all about creating beautiful music, without gimmicks or pseudo-hip posturing. Solasta is such a band, consisting of three young musicians, acclaimed in their own right, fiddler Elizabeth Flett, cellist Hannah Thomas, and guitarist Jamie Leming. As the title suggests, this album is a musical exploration, trying to find the common thread between Celtic, folk, classical, jazz and experimental music. The result is a dazzling smorgasbord of string mayhem, witty, irreverent and entertaining, with the musicians displaying an easy virtuosity and deep knowledge of the genres they are tackling.
I sense in this album a great musical camaraderie, as the interplay between the musicians seems fresh and intuitive, deftly navigating styles, timbres and dynamics. At the same time, the band’s collective schooling manifests itself in the tightly structured arrangements, even as the music is quite adventurous.
“The Plate Smasher” is an excellent opener that sets the tone for the album. It starts out with various abstract string noises that wouldn’t sound out of place in a John Cage piece, after which we are treated to an exhilarating Greek wedding song speeding up gradually, in an irresistible “Zorba the Greek” fashion. Experimentation, eclecticism, and wit: all the ingredients of “A cure for the Curious” contained in one song.
The rest of the album continuous to find common ground between various musical worlds. All three musicians are also talented singers, so we are treated to two vocal tunes as well. “Bedlam Boys” is a nice reworking of a traditional ballad (the name Bedlam was the nickname given to Bethlehem Hospital for the Insane in London), whereas “Terror Time” features gorgeous vocal harmonies over a droning cello with some beautiful modal violin playing.
“The 5-6 Set” has a cool Philip Glass vibe, while ‘The Pirate Set” is a mini-suite of three songs about pirates. It starts out with the upbeat “Morgawr” then segues into the stately “The Copper Pirate” before ending dramatically with “The Maam”‘.
‘Whitecaps” is a sunny Celtic ballad, percolating happily with upbeat guitar over pretty cello and violin, taking various twists and turns, until it resolves in another dramatic climax. “Port na bPúcaí” is a sombre ending. A mournful cello plays a slow, minimalist melody over ambient guitar and fiddle. The song fades out gently, ending the album on a subdued note.
A Cure for the Curious is an interesting and intriguing album by three talented and highly accomplished musicians breathing new life into time-honoured musical traditions with style, flair and fun. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it led Solasta to some very interesting places indeed.
You can also hear a track on Folk Show: Episode 38