PART THE SECOND

Maudlin of the Well's 'Part The Second' was a gloriously found gem for me. Maudlin has always been a band I've respected as being highly creative and original, but I've always needed an album to properly get me into them. With the graces of a 'free album' made by the band as a response to fan donation, it was pretty hard to resist. Even sparing the music here, the way in which this record came to fruition is really uplifting, and a perfect backdrop for what is one of the most musically proficient releases to have come out of 2009.

Upon my first listen of 'Part The Second,' it was clear that the band's hiatus had given them the rest needed to make something really unique and beautiful, albeit challenging.. While there are parts of the work that may not work as well as others; with more listens, the gaps in my appreciation began to fill up, and I finally came to the point where I was able to take the music for what it was, and not what it wasn't.

Compared to the band's previous releases, Toby Driver and his bandmates shed alot of the metal to incorperate other sounds and influences into the mix, including jazz and even neoclassical elements. As far as metal as a genre goes, the traces of such are few and far between. While Maudlin Of The Well certainly started out 'metal,' this album is a further development into the realm of uncompromised post-rock.

The vocals themselves, while very versatile, fall short in the overall sound and deter more so than compliment. While there are a few rare sections where it shows that Driver can actually sing, he rarely uses much of his vocal potential. I don't know whether he was trying to sound 'avant' in nature, or if he thought it was the best thing he could do, but the vocals seem to (if only a little bit) mar the otherwise complex and beautiful soundscape that Maudlin performs here. Sometimes, I hear the music and wish that a more regimented performance was used, but parts of the vocal mix work rather well in any case.

Perhaps the most inspiring thing about this album isn't even so much the music, but a living testament of how music can bring people together in harmony, and do something really magical. Even in a year like 2009, the true spirit of music has not died.

Share this MAUDLIN OF THE WELL review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to Conor Fynes
• Report this review (#221343)
• Buy MAUDLIN OF THE WELL music online with PA partners
• Show all MAUDLIN OF THE WELL MP3/Stream
• Go to MAUDLIN OF THE WELL page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Part the Second page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for MAUDLIN OF THE WELL related discussions