review
Foxy Digitalis
Review of original CDr version of 'Jozepha'
9/10
The delicate acoustic pluckings of Rameses III seem like an odd fit for
Campbell Kneale's dronefest of a label. However, one thing is certain: the man
knows great music when he hears it. Rameses III's soft oceanside whispers are
easy on the ears, but heavy on the soul. Rife with emotion, these acoustic
based tracks will warm you up on a cold winter day, but get your mind and heart
racing thinking about things you've loved and lost. "For Elsie (Cherry Blossom
Falls)" is the tale of a summer fling gone horribly wrong. Everything you'd
hoped for fell apart in your hands. These are moments full of staggering beauty
and pain. "Some These Days I'll Be Gone" is the morning your lover left without
a trace or sound. You kept asking yourself if they were ever really there in
the first place. "The Silent Union Goes to War" is something different, though.
It's the moment you were born as seen through your mother's eyes. Nothing will
ever match the warmth of this hour. This is stunning. And then there's "The
Tidal Draw," which stops the show. This is the time you watched your
significant other softly sleeping, wrapped in the glow of candlelight. It was
pure magic, and in this track, Rameses III have encompassed it perfectly. Each
strained note moves me closer to tears. This is so beautiful. "Love Goes On" is
optimistic. You've finally moved on and now that the leaves are changing, you
feel good about what is to come. And finally, there is the title track, "For
Jozepha." This is a hymn for a fallen friend. In music, we immortalize the ones
we love and "For Jozepha" works as such. Rameses III are a warm, wonderful band
who is only going to get better through time. Campbell Kneale nailed it with
this one.
2005/01/00