In the Norse poem Völuspá, which tells the creation and destruction of the world, the story says: “Now do I see / the earth anew / Rise all green / from the waves again; The cataracts fall, / and the eagle flies, And fish he catches / beneath the cliffs.” Poets, right? But the feeling of beauty in destruction, creation and nature itself carries over so well to The Golden Filter’s debut album, Voluspa, named after the poem. The synth-pop duo from New York create a wonderfully simple and tribally-influenced world that is both haunting and eerily calming.
The Golden Filter first released the single “Solid Gold” way back in July 2008 and have been teasing us with tracks ever since (see: “Thunderbird” from September 2009 and “Hide Me” from February 2010). Now, we finally have all three tracks on a single LP, alongside eight others that make up the tranquil, airy Voluspa. While the non-singles generally pale in comparison, they do act nicely together to make a record that maybe cares more about creating an environment than catchy pop tunes.
The songs rely on front woman Penelope Trappes’ sweeping vocals and Stephen Hindman’s disco-laced ethereal synth. The end result is something great but not something of any kind of epic proportions. Voluspa draws listeners into a tranquil trance and holds them without expanding or building much from the initial interaction. There is little heightening or change of tempo to bring a lot of interest into the album, but the songs are well enough made to counteract that downside for the most part. The Golden Filter are off to an awesome start but Voluspa just shows that they can make something truly great.
The Golden Filter – “Solid Gold” [MP3]
The Golden Filter – “Hide Me” [MP3]
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