Ark, Brendan Perry’s second solo album, sees him returning to his sublime Dead Can Dance sensibilities and the well of inspiration proves deep. All eight tracks were written, performed and produced entirely on his own by Perry, in the holy atmosphere of Quivvy Church, the artist’s extraordinary recording studio deep in County Cavan.
Ark’s carefully-constructed musical, thematic and visual symmetry creates a powerfully harmonious aesthetic, despite the issues of global dischord which many of its lyrics address. Thus, Mother Nature’s magical spirit ­– alongside the potential flame of genius in the children to whom we’re bequeathing this war-torn toxic mess – provide the springs of redemptive hope as we are invited to conclude that we may well have reached the end of human civilization.
What it all adds up to is a vision of dystopia – and utopia – reminiscent in its questing voice of literary classics like Huxley’s Brave New World and Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. To match, the music and the vocals are suitably vast, panoramic, epic and all-encompassing. Aside from the trademark Oriental-sounding dulcimer, most of the instrumentation on Ark is derived from samples and synthesisers. Surging amidst the dance grooves are banks of strings, horns and siren-like choirs that would impress Tchaikovsky. It all adds up to something very special...
The lyrical poetry, vaulting vocals, impressive instrumentation and overarching vision combine to make Ark a highly unusual and thoroughly satisfying work. Listen to the superb single ‘Utopia’ and watch the brilliant ten-minute Ark video on Brendan Perry’s MySpace for a taste. Or better still, just go out and buy it...