I read somewhere that the Co. studied traditional Russian music without actually listening to any, and then reproduced what they'd learned for this album. They do this with drums, plenty of background vocals, saxophone, violin, bass, male and female vocals, percussion, flute, a washboard, cello, xylophone, and guitars of varying types and tones (but usually not all at once)--their usual eclectic mix of instruments, in other words. Having never heard Russian music of any kind before, I can't say if they've succeeded on that account or not.
If you've never heard Havalina Rail Co., though, perhaps now the time has come. I can't truthfully call the songs on Russian Lullabies conventional, but they seem to follow a more linear structure than the band's previous experiments. That is, I found them easier to digest and more enjoyable than those of other albums (or maybe it just took me three albums to get used to them). It's safe to say most of the swing and strange country influences have been put aside, leaving the surf-guitar, jazz, and avant-garde (anything I can't label I stick under that). All of this means you can't really put Havalina Rail Co. into a category; there's too much variety and uniqueness. They're like Star Trek--going where no one has gone before, and finding all kinds of groovy, spooky weirdness. Tied for my favorite tune would be the very frosty, acoustic, "Winter," with vocals by soft siren Lori Hoopes, and the also acoustic "Total Depravity" (both very melancholy and with very sparse instrumentation).
In a manner of speaking, I've become so blind,
it's a wonder you keep me, it's a wonder I can shine....
*(*from Total Depravity)
Mood. Loneliness. Creativity. Emotion. Atmosphere. Sadness. Solitude. Festiveness. Depth. Havalina Rail Co. singing Russian Lullabies for you....
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Exit Zine 1999Reviewed by James M. BranumHavalina Rail Company is truly unique among bands in either the Christian or secular industries. And in their uniqueness, Havalina has created something truly special. In their latest album, Russian Lullabies, they incorporate elements of Russian folk music, rock, rockabilly, classical, and jazz, and yet never completely identify themselves with a particular genre. The album is a concept album…Puddlegum 1998Reviewed by Kevin FlickHavalina Rail Co. is a band of artistic musicians that are ahead of their time, and should proudly bear the honor of being called avant garde. Their latest release, Russian Lullabies, is a daring musical masterpiece, driven by the central theme of lost love capitolizing on symbolism of the cold Siberian tundra. If an artist was searching for popularity, the direction that Havalina has gone would…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Shari LloydThe music on this album is described by the band as their attempt to do what Stravinsky once did for jazz. Without ever hearing jazz, he attempted to compose pieces based on what he had read about it. The music ended up nothing like jazz, and like nothing else either. In this case, one can definitely hear the Eastern influences in the music. Based on the romantic images they found in literature…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by James StewartI'm currently studying Russia in my history class so I was eager to hear this album - both to hear Havalina Rail Co's impression of Russian folk music and to explore the imagery they were reputed to employ here. To prepare for this album, the band studied Russian culture and music, without actually listening to any of the music, and mixed what they'd learned with their other influences to produce…Similar sounding releases
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