While unbelievably lovely, I have to constantly battle feelings of love and hate for We Sprout in Thy Soil based on the large number of irritants and praises that are conjured by its music.
David Åhlén’s falsetto is stunning in its tone and uniqueness, yet it is overbearing after even fifteen minutes of listening. His wavering, subtly nuanced voice is one of those things that you feel like you can’t get enough of – like ice cream or beer - but once you let yourself indulge you regret relying so heavily on one thing. The sound of the We Sprout in Thy Soil is unbalanced, as for the most part a guitar is the only accompaniment and David’s voice is bright, piercing through the speakers and leaving very little bottom end to flesh out the listening experience. “Altar” however, is a wonderful example of the opposite effect. An upright bass accompanies not only David but also one of the many collaborating artists on the album, and the resulting sound is more spread out and well-rounded.
The accompaniments are the high point of this album, and “Stir Our Hearts” is a shining example of this strength. Åhlén is accompanied by the Uppsala Cathedral Boys' Choir, and the result is relieving; my ears were able to relax and enjoy the music fully without strain. The wide range of talented guest artists was a wise choice to help fill out the overall sound of this work. Many of the orchestral accompaniments overshadow the voice that has been losing my interest and has been in the same register for twenty minutes. The boys' choir and more robust orchestral pieces are quite wonderful. I would recommend this album based on the accompaniments alone.
The religious content of the release was a particular shock, considering that over the course of two years here at The Silent Ballet I have had a) very few albums with lyrics and b) absolutely nothing even remotely religious to review, so having an album that is boldly praising Jesus and asking for forgiveness and acceptance back into his presence was a bit odd to say the least. Perhaps David’s choice for religious content is related to the coincidental (or not) name similarity/exactness to David Åhlén, the Swedish composer born in 1895. The details on this name convergence elude me, but there might be something more there. Either way, the religious content sounds honest and thoughtful, and it is refreshing just to hear sincerity in words.
While We Sprout in Thy Soil can be a bit fatiguing on the ears, the sound eventually offers enough variety to keep interest going. Future work is promising from David Åhlén, but for now, his work feels just a little bit unpolished.
-Greg Norte