"Tragic Magic, the pair's first collaborative album, evidences this bond: born out of a short series of improv sessions in Paris, it's a wonderfully immersive set of new age and ambient tracks, where Barwick's airy, reverbed vocals and atmospheric synth washes interweave with, and accentuate, Lattimore's twinkling harp. The artwork for Tragic Magic The album sessions took place shortly after last year's California wildfires, which the two musicians experienced as residents. Accordingly, tragedy and hope cut through the dreamlike haze of these unfurling compositions."
"With its delicate harp loop and hushed whispers, opener Perpetual Adoration is as sweet and dreamy as a lullaby, while the gorgeous, moving Haze With No Haze carries a quiet desperation in the brittle, staccato melody and Barwick's yearning high register. As always, her lyrics are indiscernible, words blurring into texture and shapeless whispers, but teem with feeling. Even at their most spartan, the songs feel more grand and cinematic than the pair's respective solo work; Lattimore's harp is given particular room to shine."
"Occasionally, the duo reach towards epic heights, as in their murky take on Rachel's Song from Blade Runner, which rushes into an effervescent flurry in its final minute, or on Stardust, the album's climax, where soaring synths and celestial harp flickers are bolstered by a drum kick five minutes in, the closest things get to pop sensibilities. But just then, they strip it all back for the fluttering, near-nine-minute closer Melted Moon the emotion lingering where the fullness doesn't."
Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore developed a musical telepathy after years of touring together. Tragic Magic is their first collaborative album, born from a short series of improvisational sessions in Paris. The sessions followed recent California wildfires experienced by both musicians, and themes of tragedy and hope permeate the music. The album blends new-age and ambient textures, featuring Barwick's reverbed, airy vocals and atmospheric synth washes alongside Lattimore's twinkling harp. Tracks range from lullaby-like opener Perpetual Adoration to the desperate-tinged Haze With No Haze, occasional cinematic surges, and a stripped-back, emotional near-nine-minute closer, Melted Moon.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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