Style: Art Rock, Progressive Rock (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Quieter Caligula’s Horse, Later Leprous, Hjaltalín, Kalandra
Country: United Kingdom
Release date: 11 December 2024
One of the most memorable moments from comedy/advice podcast My Brother, My Brother, and Me involves a scenario about a man who stumbles into being his office’s ‘car guy’ despite knowing absolutely nothing about cars. The story culminates in him being asked to accompany his coworker to a dealership to help look for a new car. The joke/moral of the story came down to ‘people just want an adult around,’ and I think that rings true for all of us: the world is an overwhelming and scary place, and our fears in unfamiliar situations are assuaged by the presence of a person who conveys confidence. Composer and producer Caio Duarte aims to offer this to his children through music: Ifall’s latest output Stillness and Trust focuses on guidance for what to expect while navigating through life. Does his advice ring true for everyone, or does it fall on deaf ears?
Ifall betrays a calmer side of Duarte, as its progressive indie/pop rock sensibilities are a considerable departure from his work in thrash metal outfit Dynahead—endless streams of tremolo picks and frenetic instrumentation are eschewed in favor of quietly picked guitars and lush orchestrations on Stillness and Trust. Though most of its runtime is light and airy, heavier moments make themselves known, particularly in the choruses and bridges (“Steel and Ills,” “Sol Ipsis”) and occasionally in track introductions (“Heed Within”). Vocals take center stage on Stillness and Trust, gently leading tracks to their climaxes and pushing musical ideas forward.
Vocals are the saving grace of Stillness and Trust—save for the few heavier moments, much of the instrumentation is relegated to backdrop as Duarte utilizes gorgeous soaring vocal melodies that add considerable emphasis to his already weighty words. Opener “Steel and Ills” begins with voice only, demonstrating the clarity in Duarte’s tone before locking in to Leprous-esque staccato experimentation; “Air” and “Temple of You” see Duarte exploring his inner Jim Grey (Caligula’s Horse) with delicate yet confident singing over soft piano and gently swaying guitars and drums; “The Hunger and the Thirst” and “Mount Mistake” present the best vocal performances, exuding heartbreak in the tracks’ closing melodies.
While undoubtedly beautiful on their own, what really makes the vocal melodies shine is the words behind them: Stillness and Trust’s intimate and touching musings moved me to the point of tears on multiple occasions. At its core are messages to his children describing the beauty and complications of life (“Steel and Ills,” “The Hunger and the Thirst”), the importance of taking in smaller moments (“Air”), and reminders to trust yourself during times of hardship (“Heed Within,” “The Hunger and the Thirst”). Duarte’s most moving lyricism outlines his dedication to his children and his desire to understand them: lines such as ‘I have mine, and you live there / You occupy me / And you won’t understand / As no one will ever understand yours’ from “Temple of You” describe how we hold the most important things inside of us, and how it’s difficult to understand how much someone can mean to you. Duarte recontextualizes this to hardships on “The Hunger and the Thirst,” proclaiming ‘And every turn of page / Will try to make you cave in / But remember thе only thing / You’ll ever be a mastеr of / Is yourself / The only thing you’ll ever be is yourself.’ My favorite moment, however, is the conclusion of “Mount Mistake,” where Duarte assures that his dedication to his children will live through them after he passes: ‘My decay, bittersweet / Collapsing gеntle memories / I brought you to this stagе / Just to share it with you / You’ll always be / The best thing I’ve ever seen,’ a line that reminds me of my recently deceased father every time I hear it.
Stillness and Trust has no problem mercilessly pulling at my heartstrings, but the experience as a whole exposes some fundamental flaws that hold it back from greatness. Likely the biggest offender is the production, which gives the album an overall hushed feel: even in its more dramatic moments (“Steel and Ills”, “Sol Ipsis,” “Heed Within”), the music feels restrained by the production. I want these sections to positively explode, but instead they only adorn me in a shower of sparks, taking passages that would have been radical heights and relegating them to moments of mild intrigue. In an album whose modus operandi is stripped back instrumentation, the contrast against bigger moments is necessary to maintain interest. Production issues when combined with the songwriting also drastically affect the memorability of the music: were it not for the well-crafted and intimate vocal lines, a majority of Stillness and Trust’s instrumentation would be rendered forgettable. There are instances where Ifall is able to work around these problems, however: the staccato vocals and soaring grandeur of “Steel and Ills” are catchy and mostly unmarred by the production, and I still get chills from the lush ending of “Mount Mistake,” even if the beginning is fuzzy in my mind.
Despite some clashing of production and songwriting, Ifall’s messages of care and guidance ring clear on Stillness and Trust. Caio Duarte is able to easily convey his musings thanks to a spectacular vocal performance that is occasionally augmented by equally dramatic instrumentation. Should Duarte find a balance with production that complements Ifall’s grander moments, he will have an album which is as compelling musically as it is lyrically. Until then, I’ll just sit here and keep crying about it—literally.
Recommended tracks: Steel and Ills, Mount Mistake, Heed Within, Sol Ipsis
You may also like: MEER, Iamthemorning, Marjana Semkina, Toby Driver
Final verdict: 7/10
Related links: Spotify | Facebook
Label: Independent
Ifall is:
– Caio Duarte (everything)
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