Few artists have succeeded in creating a sound utterly unique to themselves as well as Colin Stetson has. The sound of his music can be heard shifting throughout his discography, fluctuating between different degrees of beauty, sorrow and horror. The final installment in his New History Warfare series, subtitled “To See More Light,” sees his work delving a bit more into a sound that is subtly gorgeous and more outwardly macabre and eerie sound.
A few works on the album feature vocals from Justin Vernon, founding musician of the band Bon Iver, such as the outright terrifying “Brute,” where Vernon’s growled vocals almost sound like that of a barbarian, as well as “What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?,” with softer and more delicate vocal contributions starkly contrasting those of the former.
This album also features one of Stetson’s longest single works, which is the 15-minute long title track. Described by Stetson as “exploring our instinctual need for the wish fulfillment of an eternity,” this monster of a song is arguably one of Stetson’s best compositions to date, if not his best. To keep it brief, it sounds as if an existential crises was turned into a piece of music.
In short, “To See More Light” is a fantastic and harrowing work. It caps off the “New History Warfare” trilogy brilliantly, and must be heard to be fully understood.
Rating: 9/10