200 Years – 200 Years
Wild White and West Hartford, the stripped down laments that introduce 200 Years, exemplify the chemistry between Ben Chasny (Six Organs Of Admittance) and Elisa Ambrogio (Magic Markers) with an understated grace. Chasny's playing is sparse throughout the album, opening up spaces in the mix for Ambrogio's delicately pitched vocal performances.
Through The Trees is perhaps the best example of the duo’s complementary nature, providing a pivotal centre piece and a piercing sense of pathos. There's a moment on Thread, one of the strangest songs on the album, when the brittle guitar work gives way to a stunningly orchestrated wall of feedback. It's another arresting standout segment, adding to the feeling that the aftermath of some catastrophic horror is being sound-tracked throughout the record. 200 Years have carved out a beguiling, disturbing and compelling space for their visions on this impressive album.