>THE SILVER MOUNT ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA & TRA-LA-LA

A Silver Mount Zion are the band formed by Efrim, one of the threeguitarists in Godspeed You Black Emperor! although here he often playspiano. Bassist Thierry and classically trained violinist Sophie alsomoonlight from Godspeed, but A Silver Mount Zion has extended its namepresumably to denote the arrival in their midst of a further trio ofstring players on second violin, cello and guitar. Their friends Jonahand Eric also play trumpet/trombone and drums to further fill out thesound. The extra instuments bring a depth and climactic momentum thatsurpasses that record and the songs seem more fully realised than thesparse piano led songs from the first album. Whilst the sound mighthave moved closer dynamically to Godspeed, the most obvious differenceis that on some songs Efrim sings in a wavering voice similar toJonathan Donahue of Mercury Rev or Wayne Coyne of Flaming Lips, butsaddened by far weightier lyrical concerns. A key track is 'Take TheseHands and Throw Them in the River', which rises in intensity as stringsswell in dark desperation until Efrim's voice almost cracks as he singsthe heartfelt tearful refrain. Melancholy and hope are the two wordsthat instantly spring to mind in describing this music. Most tracksstart quietly and slowly build up a beautiful layered emotionallyhotwired intensity. The standout track for me was the penultimateinstrumental 'C'mon Come On (Loose an Endless Longing)' which buildsslowly with drum and guitar led visions of the first rays breakingthrough after the storm clouds, then falls back, and then the stringsseem to reach for the sky and just won't stop there and the big bandunleashes its full Tra-La-La glory, godspeed to silver planets,climbing up above the hand chopping megalomaniacs and soaring above themisery and the starvation and the war and the superweeds and thedepleted uranium and the rotting corpses and babies too starved toscream and...
The album ends with Efrim singing, "We will find our way," on 'TheTriumph of Our Tired Eyes' a hopeful ode to beauty rarely felt that hasan atmosphere of aftermath and new beginning.
As their friend Mischa recites on the poetic interlude that opens'Built Then Burnt (Hurrah! Hurrah!)' as strings swirl up beneath, itstime to speak, "Good words, strong words, words that could've movedmountains, words that were never said."