It’s with a style infused with diverse influences that Clash Valian builds its dreamy universe on Degrees of Freedom. Review.
DEGREES OF FREEDOM – CLASH VALIAN
What proposes Clash Valian, Greg Merrell’s project, with Degrees of Freedom is a river-long album. It’s a long journey to understand human beings. A long story which, like a dream, transforms fast and without a warning. The American artist does give a small warning with Cyrus, a beautiful math-rock introduction with a classical air that, quickly, explores more. With Gretchen Swanson, Clash Valian gets introspective and resilient, both in English and in Mandarin on the sublime Dragon’s Backbone. Its pop-jazz made of various influences is a superb opening.
There is more. In space (Sirius at Twilight, Moonlander), through Norse mythology (Brokkr), in another part of Asia (Empty Riot), in an American jazz club (Arrival)… The atmospheres shift fast and the dream morphs into a nightmare at times (Terry, Warplane).
Thoughts on the Second World War are intense. Of course, it’s ideal to explore the spectrum of human feelings, especially in the most surprising, traumatic, shocking, and sometimes relieving moments. These chaotic inputs are dotted everywhere, more so in the second half of the record. If Thick and Thin is an easy-to-listen rock song, Knitting with Cat Hair pushes the genre’s limits, refusing labels. But Giving In and Heady are going even further in the shadows. It’s up to Someone Else to balance it out with nice riffs.
The project of Degrees of Freedom is ambitious, and Clash Valian lets the cascade of fascinating tracks flow freely. It’s a rare kind of record, due to its blended and rich genres as much as by its length. I can’t list all 21 songs here but be assured they all piqued my interest and my soul. It could have been more accessible if it was shorter, but it would have lost some of its contemplative appeal. Honourably daring, it’s a dream caught in a spiral of genre that keeps the suspense alive.
