Steve Von Till
If I Should Fall To The Field

There are albums that have an immediate emotional impact on the listener, while others need to be slowly metabolized in order to be fully appreciated.
This is the case with "If I Should Fall To The Field" by Steve Von Till (already a member of Neurosis).

In fact, although I had already drawn a heterogeneous series of beautiful sensations from the first listen, only today did I realize that I hadn't fully comprehended its tragic beauty. Listening to it again with the support of memories from the initial listens, my heart tightened in my throat on several occasions.

In general, what strikes and captures is Von Till's deep, grave, lyrical voice, capable of developing splendid melodies. And in doing so, it highlights a disarming simplicity.
All the ballads are essential, devoid of unnecessary frills. The protagonists are his voice and a guitar, while sometimes an organ, a banjo, an electric guitar, or a violin emerge.

The opening track (Breathe), for example, naturally evolves through the intertwining of the gentle sound of an organ with a lacerating voice and an acoustic guitar. The following track (To the Field), perhaps the most beautiful on the album, is characterized by a melodic crescendo accompanied in the end by bass, drums, and electric guitar.

All the tracks are composed by Von Till, except for the wonderful "Running Dry" by Neil Young and the traditional "Am I Born To Die".
The piece that concludes the album (The Harpy) is truly fascinating and unique. It is a poem by Robert W. Service recited by Steve Von Till's grandfather and recorded in 1961. The tape's hiss, the old-sounding voice of Louis A. Von Till, the discreet entrance of instruments over the reciting voice (Hammond, bass, and guitar) manage to transport the mind back in time, to an America that (perhaps) no longer exists.