But the juxtaposition of the two events contained a hint of the divine, for Sorensen was inspired by the history and style of the movie. Evensong Rising is the fruit of his creation, and their atmospheric sound reflects a meeting of the ancient and the progressive. Their new album, “Alter,” follows a liturgical path, moving from “Processional” to “Praise,” through the course of a service to “Benediction” and “Post-worship.” I don’t know that I actually felt that progression as I listened to “Alter,” but I certainly picked up on a sense of the sacred in this lush, organic music, and it comes in diverse and creative forms, one lovelier than the other. Moving smoothly from fat and funky (“Full of Love”), to lively and slightly Celtic (the up-tempo opener “Almighty King”), to thickly brooding (“Heal My Heart”), Evensong cannot be tied down to any one style.
Immediately obvious is the knockout percussion. I wasn’t entirely surprised to read that drummer Steve Scales is a Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall-of-Famer (Talking Heads), as his organic percussion under David Tolley’s cascading violin had already stopped me cold on “Hear Your Word.” Vocalist/guitarist Sorensen is openly passionate throughout, peaking on “Be Still,” thick with sound and feeling. But the real standout track on “Alter” has to be the jazz-tinged hard-driving “I’m Coming Home,” a 7-minute thrill ride, Garnet Walters laying out a veritable feast on the keys in this musical plea for mercy. And don’t miss the hidden Spanish-flaired romp at the tracks’ end.
“Alter” will have you on your feet and on your knees with these beautifully-crafted songs, performed within an inch of their lives. That’s one very blessed church up there in Connecticut.
