FAMILY ELAN - bow low bright glow LP

Fusion is a dirty word, implying clinicism and a dry sense of conscious matchmaking. “Bow Low Bright Glow” is a more a communal excavation and re-presentation of buried European folk and
sufi-hearted music than any form of experiment. Family Elan are alone in their field. Here, Chris Hladowski has put together a collection of original numbers, visions created from lost/found tapes and traditional pieces (including a absolutely gorgeous “The BlackPlanets Of Her Eyes”) that are a fitting companion to Family Elan’s “Stare of Dawn” debut.

Alongside Hladowski’s voice, there’s the vocal input of Nalle’s Hanna Tuulikki – a voice as easily capable of gentle Qawwali as it is folk song. This is a record of heavy treble intricacy, Hladowski’s saz and bouzouki playing encompassing drones, folk, dervish progressive work and a woozy shimmer over and through the entwining melodies. Family Elan are more than just a project or a band, Hladowski has endowed the music here with a such a unique voice that shaky shorthand comparisons would be pointless and a short sell. Music that hints at the devotional rarely feels as inclusive, as communal and as enjoyable as this.