Merope – V​ė​jula Review

What does Merope sound like?

European ethereal folk, this time around with a more experimental, ambient edge.

The review of ‘V​ė​jula’ by Merope

Merope is one of folk music’s most hidden gems and treasures. Transitioning from a trio down to a duo, ‘V​ė​jula’ (meaning ‘wind’ or ‘breeze’) takes traces of Lithuanian folk songs and transforms them into textural glades of sound. It is a truly beautiful album and sounds like an aural slice of heaven.

‘Koumu Lil’ opens the album with a merger of synths and traditional instruments. It is sometimes difficult to tell where the cascades of synths stop and the kankles (a Lithuanian lap harp) begin. This shimmering spectrum of sound is bathing in cool, vintage keyboards and Moogy bass. The Kantele takes centre stage for ‘Namopi’, which has Laraaji and Shahzad Ismaily guesting, bringing more zithers and synths into the mix. This track feels more rootsy and organic but emulates the same crystalline shimmers of the opening piece. Whereas the opener felt above ground, ‘Namopi’ feels cavernous and vast in its void.

Switching gears, ‘Lop​š​inė’ is a disarmingly vulnerable and soft ballad of electric guitar and kankles with traditional folk lyrics drifting over the top. It reminds me of devotional pieces from Hindu culture. Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė’s voice is so lonely and airy that she sounds lost in the wild. The guitars effortlessly coil around each other and the track overflows in humble thankfulness. Pairing it with the instrumental ‘Vija’ is clever because this acoustic strumathon is an elegant, playful piece. It is a delicate, surreal pitter-patter of strummed and plucked chords and strings from various zithers and psalteries with gentle humming synths hiding underneath. Merope provides a calm hand and a guided light to relaxation and appreciation for the first half of the album.

Whilst the playful and ethereal tones remain, ‘Spindule’ takes a more experimental approach. The piece layers Indrė’s voice over gentle lap harp drones that unfold and spool over the listeners’ ears like balls of wool unrolling. Guest performer Toma Gouband brings percussive stones to the piece that shiver and gurgle like pennies in a drain pipe. It is surreal and high fantasy but continues to sell Merope’s slice of audio heaven. ‘Agala’ then chops up vocal snippets into a Lithuanian folk chant that spirals in and out of tonal cloud bursts of synths. It sounds like we’re up the clouds or mountains – capturing fractured moments of other people’s prayers and hopes from below. At times, the piece sounds more mechanic and sinister, but I guess the noise of prayer can be deafening.

The final two tracks on the album are lengthy ones at over six and a half minutes each. ‘O Underhill’ is an ambient textural piece. It features all kinds of unusual percussion, rain noise and effects that twist field recordings into synthetic sounds. It is a song I recommend listening to with great stereo speakers as noises fly in from all different directions. There isn’t a strong melody here, and a few of Merope’s tracks on this album refuse to wrestle a melody to the ground. This is the most freeform and improvisational though. ‘Rana’ closes out the album with a traditional Lithuanian folk song. One of only two songs with lyrics, it is the most conventional track on the album, but only just. There are moments when it explodes into visceral arpeggios of wonder. Other sections drift by like fleeting breezes through your hair. It runs the gambit of the ethereal experimental folk tones Merope explore on the album and it’s a fitting and emotive finale.

‘V​ė​jula’ is by far the most experimental of Merope’s five albums to date. Whilst they always find their way back to Lithuanian folk music, this is the most high-concept and pastel-coloured album to date. The wind element is present throughout every song and there is a feminine energy at the core of the album too. Whilst I adore Merope’s more traditional albums, this is a fantastic departure into something unique. ‘V​ė​jula’ is closer to a painting than music at times and it sounds like it is being sculpted in real time. Beautiful and quietly affirming.

Recommended track: Rana

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