Joshua Burnside returns with a track steering so far away from his last album, Into The Depths of Hell, that it is hard to believe the two products come from the same artist.
With his previous single, ‘And You Evade Him/Born In the Blood’, Burnside had dived into a more menacing, experimental and unique sound, a complex combination of techniques and noises. Electronic music combined with African music, a rich and complicated mix rarely seen before but which he mastered so completely. I had fallen completely in love with this track, and with the album it came from.
That’s why when ‘Higher Places’ came out, I had to wait until the name of the artist was spoken to believe this was, indeed, the very same Joshua Burnside. And then I rewound, listened closely, waited for his name again. And still, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around. it.
With this track, Joshua Burnside returns closer to the style of albums like Ephrata. The music is quieter and brings notes of American folk. it is a ballad more than an experimental statement, with lyrics phrased in the style of a poem. No eccentricity here: it is sober, simple and very peaceful; to us, listeners, all seems to indicate that Burnside’s trip to hell has come to an end and that brighter tomorrows are ahead of us.
The album Higher Places will be released on May 7, 2021 and has been described to be the sister album of Into The Depths Of Hell, with b-sides, remixes & demos. It wouldn’t be like Joshua Burnside to create an album where all the tracks follow the same style of music, which therefore leaves room for imagination.
I, for one, cannot wait to see what surprises this album carries.
