Kris Delmhorst – Long Day in the Milky Way
Big Bean Music – 25 September 2020 (Europe)
If ever there was a time for Kris Delmhorst and her new album Long Day in the Milky Way it’s now. When she sings “Keep on pushing and you’ll find a way through,” on Wind’s Gonna Find a Way you believe her, and that’s a message that has never been more useful. As we attempt to struggle through a year many of us would rather forget, she reminds us of the things that we need to carry with us.
Drawing from a vast array of sources, Delmhorst finds the way to bring out the truths that need to be spoken. Inspired by Malian artist Afel Boucoum, Golden Crown is a circular creation, a call-response between Kris and her chorus of vocalists, Rose Polenzani, Annie Lynch and Rose Cousins. Together they weave a gorgeous fabric, while kalimba and keyboards provide a gentle backing.
Sounding initially like something out of the Nick Drake songbook, Hanging Garden snaps into another dimension when the drums enter. As Delmhorst explains, “It’s a precarious time to be a living creature on the earth, and this song is about committing to the moment no matter how unsettled it is, embracing the possibility for change inherent in shaky ground.” Yet there’s an incredible positivity to the song, with the last four lines saying everything that needs to be said, “See all the life here that’s moving/ See all the buzzing and blooming/ Right as the rain and upside down/ Way up here we could be anything.”
Taken as a collection of songs, the diversity of sounds is a wonder to behold. Kris and the vocals of her cohorts tie it all together, finding the common ground that holds the various styles together. Her cover of Walter Becker and Rickie Lee Jones’ song The Horses is especially inspired. The song is one of a mother singing to her daughter, a promise that everything will eventually work out, with a closing quatrain that reveals common truths, “Look over your shoulder, I’m right behind you/ ‘Cause you know I was young once too/ And when I was young, when I was young/ When your mama was young I heard she was a real wild one.”
Bless Your Little Heart actually features the ramblings of Kris’ then four-year-old daughter. As she mentions, “Co-writing with a preschooler wasn’t something I saw coming, but a good idea is a good idea.” The final song, Call Off the Dogs makes it clear that at the end of the day there are still better one’s ahead, “Just keep the wind behind you/ Just let the sound remind you/ Love knows just where to find you.”
Certainly, we are all going to have our share of hard times, but Long Day in the Milky Way suggests that hope is always right around the corner. And we have Kris Delmhorst to thank for reminding us of that.
Order via: Kris Delmhorst’s website | Amazon
https://www.krisdelmhorst.com/
Photo Credit: Brittany Powers
