Label: Cyprus Shade Recordings

Web site: www.writonwater.com

Release Date: March 2008

Writ on Water- A Wingless King
Dan Macintosh    

Writ on Water makes music for imaginary movies, and by the looks of the cover to A Wingless King, an epic from the days of King Arthur and Camelot is what is suggested by this "new" work. Against a pinkish background, a knight is mounted on his horse, ready for battle.

But the songs themselves are by no means quite so warrior-like. Instead, the jazzy bass and Eastern melody of "The Laughter Ceases" brings peaceful Japanese gardens to mind, instead. This particularly scenic one is followed by "Wondertime," which sounds like it is describing the innately beautiful curiosity of a small child. These gentle tales are primarily created by Daniel Johnson (bass, acoustic and electric guitars, voice, treatments, drum programming, flute, trombone) and Jeff MacKey (acoustic and electric guitars, bass, vocals, keyboards, drum programming).

Writ on Water was in danger of becoming one of those obscure bands that got lost in the label shuffle. They released Sylph on the ambitious, but short-lived, Blonde Vinyl label in 1992, and never got the chance to put out The Greyest Day, its follow up, through BV. A Wingless King, although just recently released, is not exactly new. It was begun in 2000, but is just now seeing the light of day.

It's a shame acts like Writ on Water have had to fight so hard just to get heard because much of A Wingless King is beautiful and brilliant music. Of special note is "Dead Give Away" which combines a guitar line straight out of early The Cure recordings, along with a heartfelt melancholy vocal that would make The Blue Nile proud. Then with "Rain Over Unmapped Sea," the group comes off like Bowie at his Eno-produced best. Moments like these are when A Wingless King truly takes flight.

posted [06.19.08]

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