On 20 November, neofolk visionary Kim Larsen performed in Warsaw with his project :Of the Wand & the Moon:. It was his second visit to Poland this year – this time accompanied by Jaye Jayle, the band fronted by American Evan Patterson
Author: Joanna d’Ark
Imagine you are on a deserted road. Darkness is surrounding you, and the air is thick and suffocating. The roadside is lined with trees, dark as specters, and you can almost feel the branches on your skin, like hands stretched out with sinister intent. You’re trying to walk, the path seems endless. Resistance is felt beneath your tired feet, and you’re so cold that you no longer sense the coldness… In this bleak land, you are alone, accompanied only by the haunting presence of ghosts from the past…
Then, the sky is beginning to envelop itself in color – pastel lavender and pale gold. Gentle sunlight is slowly illuminating the gloomy landscape. The trees are standing frozen in solemn silence as their branches soften, revealing delicate leaves. You feel the warmth…
This is how Kim Larsen’s art influences the highly sensitive listener. Or at least those who have experienced the darkness of depression or the loss of their loved ones. He’s one of those artists whose music doesn’t just reach your ears, but seeps deep into your soul, embraces you, wraps you in itself and leads you to a place of quiet solace.
The softness of Kim Larsen’s spirit
This unique artist once again performed solo at Warsaw’s VooDoo club. Just him, his acoustic guitar, a layer of background music and film noir cinema visuals. And that was more than enough to fully absorb the ballads with poetic reflections – about love, loss and the fleeting nature of existence – with which :OTWATM: has been delighting us since 1998.
We heard no less than three songs from the album Your Love Can’t Hold This Wreath of Sorrow (2021) – one by the same title, Let’s Take a Ride (My Love) and Whispers of the Past. Let’s Take a Ride (My Love) is worth highlighting, as it captures the full extent of Kim’s vocal talent, who sings it in a very low, as always clean timbre, which is very impressive live. Listening to this evocative song, enhanced by the trumpet melodies, literally sends shivers down your spine. The audience clearly shared these feelings as they stood as if enchanted, with several people swaying in dance with their eyes closed.
Another pearl was Sunspot from The Lone Descent (2022), an emotionally and vocally powerful piece about the fragility of existence, inevitability of suffering. The melodic layer is almost ‘wild’ in this song, witchy, masochistically joyful, with a beautiful choir in the chorus. Kim balances between fleeting moments of light, the desire for happiness, and a darkness black like coal that, although heavy on the soul, appears to be a safe place because it’s known and tested. As if he himself, having seen a glimmer of light – the titular sunspot – and shared it with us, has chosen to remain in the darkness… The song Tear it Apart also featured from The Lone Descent.
Kim Larsen apparently knows how to dose emotions. I waited almost until the end for favourite I Crave for You, from his Nighttimes Nightrhymes debut album. To say favourite is understatement – it is one of the most wonderful songs I’ve ever heard. As if ripped alive from the soul, woven with subtlety and sensitivity, a tale of pure love. Though tinged with sadness, I Crave for You perfectly demonstrates Kim Larsen’s ability to transform darkness into something breathtakingly beautiful.
The concert took place in an intimate atmosphere, and the public was filled with faces familiar from the previous performance. Nothing surprising in that – neofolk, as a rather niche genre, has an audience very dedicated to this music. What’s more, the sound of :OTWATM: exquisitely continues the legacy of legends such as Death In June, Sol Invictus or Current 93. The project initially drew inspiration from these bands, but over time has developed its own unique style, influenced in part by a predilection for americana classics. This evolution and true fusion of genres has cemented Larsen’s reputation, making him an outstanding symbol of the neofolk.
Jaye Jayle – mesmerising americana
I’d be willing to bet that Jaye Jayle’s performance was a mystery to many – after all, Evan Patterson is not such a well-known ‘brand’ in Poland as Kim Larsen. Which makes it all more pleasing that the trio from America turned out to be a positive surprise for the audience. The band’s sound is like the textures of experimental rock mixed with blues and a pinch of electronic psychodelia, all dressed in an alt-country coat and Evan’s raw vocals. It was a good opportunity for the Americans to introduce listeners to their mid-2023 album Don’t Let Your Love Life Get You.
Right from the moment they took to the stage, with the first song, Warm Blood and Honey, there was a strong whiff of America. Or, to be more precise, the legendary Swans, who apparently provided a solid inspiration for this song (Michael Gira’s song Blood and Honey). The electric guitar and bass strings warmed up, the keyboards resounded, the drums rumbled. And so we went from Scandinavian landscapes to a bar smelling of cigar smoke and whisky barrels.
Of particular note is the hypnotic-trance Party of Redemption, played second – both in sequence and chronologically on the album. This track explores the theme of finding ‘redemption’ with a loved one. It’s a very pleasant, sensual piece of music that could be described as a love song. As Evan himself claims, deep down we all seek closeness with those we love and moments of quiet togetherness – and the message of the song can be distilled to this motto. In this piece, Patterson’s baritone, reminiscent of Tom Waits’ vocal mannerisms, is complemented by a lovely tenor in the background. The role of the chorus was well served by a friendly and charismatic keyboard player.
Also performed from this album were the pleasant, shoegaze-tinged Waiting for the Life and Florist; the earlier tracks were not missing either.
Although I didn’t catch the expected links to neo-folk (except perhaps for the strong drum), I found Jaye Jayle’s performance original and interesting. Compliments must also be given for the excellent organisation of Disco Hospital Booking, and the VooDoo club for technical matters such as acoustics and lighting.
Setlists:
:Of the Wand & The Moon: Viper Soul (Les Chasseurs de la nuit cover), Your Love Can’t Hold This Wreath of Sorrow, Tear It Apart, Let’s Take a Ride (My Love), Lucifer, Whispers of the Past, Twilight Halo, Sunspot, I Crave for You, A Tomb of Seasoned Dye.
Jaye Jayle: Warm Blood and Honey, Redemption Party, House Cricks, Bloody Me, Cemetery Rain, Florist, Tell Me Live, Waiting for the Life, Spacegirl.
Follow :Of the Wand & The Moon: https://www.facebook.com/wandmoon
Follow Jaye Jayle: https://www.facebook.com/jayejayle
