DULCIMERHEAD

Arathusa Records, 2009

by Alison Brownlee

Written and produced for the 2009 Wainfleet Viking Market and Summer Solstice Celebration, Western Voyage, Eastern Shore was created to represent the Norse experience in the 11th century, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Although the instrumentation is minimal – mountain dulcimer, vocals, percussion and the occasional bird chirp – the mood and tone of the 12 pieces create a vivid mental image of the Norse during their time of global exploration.

In an interview, dulcimer player David Rankine said, “There’s no way of knowing what Norse music sounded like one thousand years ago,” but Dulcimerhead’s interpretation, which was developed through a group effort by Rankine, percussionist Fernando Villalobos and vocalist Daniela Godina, encapsulates the lived experience of the Norse by incorporating the musical traditions of the peoples with which Viking explorers came into contact.

For example, Cultivate sounds slightly Persian because of the minor mode, the pitch progressions on the dulcimer and the lyrical movement of Godina’s vocals. The song is a perfect example of the group’s emphasis on cultural integration, because it’s believably Norse, yet Middle Eastern at the same time.

Moving further east, Revelation has Godina switch to a more chant-poet vocal style with meditative chimes in the background. While these aspects invoke the Far East, the dulcimer sounds almost lute-like, giving the piece a Celtic Britain tone as well.

Although Dulcimerhead is described as a psychedelic progressive rock band, what makes it unique is the mountain dulcimer, which is an extremely versatile instrument. Rankine is able to use it to its full advantage on tunes like Sunstone, which is an instrumental piece by Rankine and Villalobos. The tune has a faster tempo, and an expertly used Djembé that gives a tribal feel to the music. The versatility of the dulcimer takes the foreground, though, through the use of harmonics and drones, while layering the melodic and accompanying lines to create a depth of sound. Near the end of the piece electronics are incorporated to highlight the psychedelic aspect – the sound is faintly reminiscent of Jim Morrison and The Doors.

The two best songs on the album, however, were saved for last. Solstice Dance is an obvious nod to the occasion for which the album was produced, but it’s an energetic, Celtic-inspired instrumental piece in 2/4 time that starts toes tapping the moment the percussion comes in. The hand drumming gives a rustic feel while the simple major mode melody invokes people dancing around the Summer Solstice bonfire with vine wreaths on their heads. It certainly pulls listeners into the celebration.

To close off the album, Godina is welcomed back to sing Cup of Plenty. It’s a great song to end with because it has a quick, almost hurried tempo and frantic strumming on the dulcimer, which eventually slows to give the piece texture. Godina’s midrange vocals are somewhere between chant and lyrical, summarizing her range on the album wonderfully. It’s a simple song, but probably the catchiest – the lyrics “Ideas flow from the cup of plenty” will be stuck in one’s head hours after the song is over because of the phrase’s melodic beauty.

Overall, Dulcimerhead’s fourth album is fantastic. Its pieces vary in tempo, mode, key, style, regional influence, lyrical content and percussive technique, all of which keeps the listener interested. Most impressive, though, is how pieces like Sunstone and At the Edge can showcase the intricacies of the mountain dulcimer – the instrument isn’t exhibited as a one-trick pony relied on as a novelty. Instead, it’s very much used to its full advantage to enhance the sound and concept of the album, which is the voyage and cultural exchange experienced by the Norse people the world over.

Dulcimerhead hit its theme very well and Western Voyage, Eastern Shore is definitely worth investing 47 minutes in, if not for the fantastic musicianship and artistry, then at least for the lesson in anthropological history.