Avi C. Engel’s excellent new album, Too Many Souls, may be the artist’s best release yet. 

Release Date: Available now

Label: Self Release (Bandcamp)

Format: Digital / CD (via Somnimage (US)) / Cassette (via Cruel Nature Records (UK))

New album, Too Many Souls, demonstrates Avi C. Engel’s instrumental virtuosity. On the album, a range of instruments are played, including acoustic guitar, gudok, percussion and melodica, alongside a unique and engaging voice. This superb album is the first to be released under a new name. Previous albums were released under the name Clara Engel.

Opening track, Hold This Flame, sets a mystical ambient atmosphere as the vocal intones the title of the song over a mist of floating instrumentation, and the beautiful emerging sound of the gudok. The gudok is an ancient three string instrument played with a bow, and on this opening track on the album, is introduced with a lovely warmth of tone.

Ladybird, What’s Wrong?, in contrast, has the gentlest of acoustic lilts, accompanying a tale of the cycle of nature disrupted by the unthinking destruction of the environment. The percussion backing is simply stunning, as rhythms played by different percussive instruments cross over each other and create a sense of both momentum and contemplation. This innovative approach to the use of percussion is an impressive hallmark of Avi’s records.

Breadcrumb Dance generates an immersive hypnotic character over its nearly six minutes length. The mournful tone of the gudok is well to the fore and complements the resonance of quiet despair expressed through the words to the song. The occasional echoing guitar accents add a striking shimmering quality. 

Woolly Mammoth is an exquisite lament, with a glistening acoustic guitar figure overlaid with echoing percussion and later the melodica. In fact, across the album, the multi layered sounds are patched together in the mix in the most breathtaking and seamless manner and is tribute to Avi’s impressive mixing skills. In this vein, the coda of The Oven Bird’s Song could almost be a slice of electronic ambient music, yet amazingly played by acoustic instruments. It is just superb.

Without Any Eyes is a lovely ballad that showcases a wonderful voice able to express emotion in subtle and engaging ways, that fire the listeners imagination. It is an apt harbinger to the final track, which is Avi’s instrumental interpretation of the traditional folk song, Wayfaring Stranger. It is tenderly played, with the lead instrument being the gudok, and builds in intensity into a swirling pot-pourri of sound, that adds a very contemporary feel. 

This may be the best release yet by Avi C. Engel. It is a near perfect melding, of a great voice, innovative and engaging instrumental arrangements, and thoughtful and inspiring song writing. If you are not familiar with Avi C. Engel’s work, it is an excellent introduction.

You can view the official video for Breadcrumb Dance here, which seems to be a really interesting shortened live version of the song:

Avi C. Engel online: Bandcamp / Facebook / Instagram

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