“Astronomica,” The Changelings
http://www.changelings.com

1. Departure
2. Orbit
3. Mati Hari
4. Outrun Your Fears
5. Veils of Gold
6. Parallax
7. Hypersleep
8. Olympus Mons
9. See Emily Play
10. My Shadow, Your Ghost

The Changelings have been called Atlanta’s answer
to Dead Can Dance. While they mine obscure folk
and classical traditions, there’s a strong
psychedelic sensibility that pervades their work
that brings them closer in spirit to the
Incredible String Band. They have discreetly
updated that old hoary chestnut, the concept, in
their last CD, which featured songs about the sea
that spanned from the mystical—the mysterious
whale song, “Deeper Than Light, “ the mythic,
“Oceana—the mermaid song” and the mischevious—one
song was about killer frogs.

“Astronomica” is a little more reigned in. For
starters, the Changelings reveal their rock
chops. The three opening songs may feature Paul
Mercer’s snaky violins and violas, and Regeana
Morris’Middle-Eastern-flourished soprano, but
there’s a solid foundation—thanks mostly to
Chandler Rentz’s drumming, that makes this
unbashed pop. “Orbit”, in particular, is a great
pop song—you can even sing along with it. In
fact, with the exception of the instrumental
“Hypersleep,” every song displays a tightness of
composition. The individual performances mesh
together well; with “Astronomica,” the
Changelings have come up with a mature piece of
work. The occasional set pieces—a bit of
ethereal here, a middle eastern song there, fold
graciously into a seamless whole.

Whoever wrote the lyrics for this album has also
hit their stride. It’s a perfect balance of
elegant imagery and narrative hints. From the
sexy “Mati Hari” to the sorrowful “My Shadow,
Your Ghost,” the words form a song cycle, held
together with images of the night sky. “Veils
of Gold,” with the scent of camels and the sting
of sand stands out. Two songs stand out from the
main cycle: “Olympus Mons,” beautifully sung by
the darkly attractive guitarist Damon Young, is a
shoegazer’s dream of echoey guitars and flowing
synth-symphonies. Slowdive and Coldplay are
evoked in this spacey epic. Syd Barrett’s “See
Emily Play,” is covered here as well, given the
Changeling workover with drones, with Morris’s
voice darting through the drug-hazed wallpaper of
the song.

“Astronomica” is the work of a band at the height
of their powers. They ought to invited to play
on “Buffy.”

--Craig L. Gidney


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