I’ve been
trying to keep up to date and review mainly “the records of the day” but today
I pitifully remembered that I’ve skipped Naam, something I think is a criminal
offense towards my tastes in music, so take a good seat, we will have to go
five years in time.
If you’re
into the arts of the holy stoner doom, Om-esque bands from around the globe,
you’re surely familiar with Naam. Unless you’re not here’s a quick reviewing of
their spiritual genius. For a moment there I thought the band was from Sweden,
having in mind how many successful bands from their caliber hail from the
northern land. My guess failed, these boys come from nowhere else but good old
hectic New York. Their location, however, is the only thing that links them to
the States. Musically this beautiful piece of stoner only speaks of high
mountains in the Middle East, clear water valleys and misty mountain tops
somewhere very, very far from the familiar sight.
Naam’s
debut is extremely spiritual, very uplifting and not depressive in any way that
you’re used of associating doom with. The only reason the band is described as
stoner doom is because of the heaviness of their records and that’s where the “doom”
bit ends. The tribal motive is present in each songs, in some more than in the
others. The opener track, a sixteen minute beauty is an example of a tribal
journey that in no way feels like sixteen minutes. I really like these bands
that can produce the longest of tracks but you never notice because they are so
good. And to be fair, not only I needn’t skip any of this music but would often
have to come back to it, listening many times to only one song. The debut album
reminds me a lot of Om at particular places, partly because I am a big Om fan,
partly because they are of the few heavier bands that encompass eastern
melodies. A note here, Naam’s sound always feels much heavier than Om and of course,
there isn’t such heavy bass presence. However, it’s in no way reminiscent. The music flows freely and unrestrained,
evicting pictures in the mind – crescent moon under a silent sky and a complete
inner nirvana.
One more
point to make, the songs – even thought they flow so freely and feel like one
big whole, are very different in pace and structure. There are the completely tribal,
almost acapella songs and there are the faster stoner tracks. Astonishingly
well balanced album that you’d come back to.
I’d very
rarely find something to listen to that’s so amazingly linked to nature and
epic in sound. There’s nothing too trite here and frankly, nothing earthly.
http://kingdomofnaam.bandcamp.com/
