DESCRIPTION:
Artist/Band: Birds of Passage
Album: "Without the World"
Released: 2011
Written, produced and recorded by Alicia Merz.

Birds of Passage is the solo project from Waikato singer-songwriter and poet, Alicia Merz. You could describe her music as follows: sometimes shy, sometimes more energetic but always intensely and extremly private. Listening to her debut record "Without the World" is like sharing one long day with Alicia and her thoughts in the diverse landscapes of her home country New Zealand. Stripped of the over-produced veneer that can be a curse for other albums, "Without The World" creates a template that the listener can immerse themself into and find their own emotions to languidly drift away on.

With "Without The World", Merz reveals herself to be a master of the minimalist genre. Swinging between drone and lo-fi, the album's tracks are quiet and comforting, yet possessive of a haunting disquiet that sends chills down the spine. No more than two or three instruments are used on a track, and are applied deftly like brushstrokes on the album's canvas. A strummed acoustic guitar provides a simple lo-fi rhythm accompanying hushed lyrics before a low cello drone comes in to add emotional depth. Subtle and ambiguous samples from nature are included, casually leaving it up to the listener to decide whether they're hearing waves crashing on a beach, or the lash of rain against a window during a storm.

Reviews on "Without the World"

"Without the World combines synthetic and natural drones with delicately lush vocals to create an eerie and absorbing atmosphere. The tone is simultaneously calming and unsettling, like the nervous experience of sailing a quiet river in dense fog." - The Silent Ballet

"...It is an album that would equally please fans of Aidan Baker or thisquietarmy as those of Sigur Ros..." - Fluid Radio

More on "Without the World", here:
http://www.last.fm/music/Birds+of+Passage/Without+the+World

If you wish to buy the CD/Vinyl, please go here:
http://denovali.com/shop/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=birds+without

Purchase digitally "Without the World", here:
http://denovali.com/mp3shop/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=birds+without

More on Birds of Passage:
http://denovali.com/birdsofpassage/
http://soundcloud.com/birdsofpassagemusic
http://www.myspace.com/birdsofpassagemusic
https://www.facebook.com/birdsofpassagemusic?sk=app_178091127385

-All the material used in this video, is property of the artist who recorded this material. No copyright infringement intended.

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