Wordless vocals go undefeated in the ring. Why bother injecting music, abstract at its essence and best when left abstract, with cheap “moon-june-he said-she said” lyricism? Would Neil Young’s shopworn and lamb-like vocalizations be any less potent if he were to simply replace “take a look at my life” or “ain’t got no t-bone” with falsetto moans?
When it comes to words, or lack thereof, it’s Bas Sheva over Aaliyah; Edda dell’Orso over Eddie Money; Scatman John Larkin over John Cougar Mellencamp; Doo-wop over pop; The Blue Chips’ Rubber Biscuit over Limp Bizkit.
When it comes to words versus wordless, Elisa Faires knows on which side to bet. However, there will be no gambling or violent vocal sporting in Elisa Faire’s fabricated “Cathedral.” Her service is held in a dignified open field, with Faires holding the seat (an apple on the pulpit) before an audience of crickets and a handful of fumbled footsteps.
Using magic powers similar to those that enabled Mary Ford to sing with an ensemble of her selves and Les Paul to simultaneously play multiple guitars, Elisa creates a hallway of her interacting voices. Without wasting much time, she places us in her a cappella cosmos, where we are placated without protest, reflective without resistance. Having staged the listener in the desired state, she cross fades the looping voices with field recordings. We sit tight with the crickets and feet until, once again, the choir of one expands. The second batch of wordless vocal loops is delivered, this time, at a slower heart rate. The pace is befitting, unhurriedly aiding the meditation that the introduction rushed in.
• Elisa Faires: http://elisafaires.bandcamp.com
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