Drawing inspiration from Seventies soul, John Carpenter soundtracks, the second and third This Mortal Coil albums, and modern classical music, the new album from Spellling succeeds enormously. The Turning Wheel, out now via Sacred Bones, is a record that threatens to carry a listener away on a wave of melody and emotion. Lush, and yet precisely arranged by the singer herself, this is easily one of the best things I've heard in 2021 so far.
Chrystia Cabral here elevates her vision to make The Turning Wheel an immersive experience. In an era when the song seems to be the thing, the piece that's the commodity, Cabral's insistence on creating something that must be heard as an album is admirable. That said, the pieces all work on their own terms, and I wouldn't want to stress that this is a concept album in anything other than mood or emotion. "Little Deer" opens the record with a dash of r 'n' b balladry, think The Stylistics' string sections and Prince slow-jams, with a wild streak of melody. The cut is instantly infectious, its down-tempo grace a lovely thing, while the title cut reveals other charms. "Turning Wheel", with its stately, climbing chords, seems to have the repetition and precision of a gospel number, or a piece from John Adams. Spellling makes this all elegant, without ever getting lost in her own arrangements, considerable as they are. While her voice is a thing of beauty, I would compliment the whole package by saying that the release would likely work as an instrumental offering, the music being just that good.
While "Legacy"sounds like a skewed appropriation of Eighties synth-pop, the peppy "The Future" is one of the clear highlights here. While The Turning Wheel is full of gems, not as many are as instantly catchy as this one is, with the vibe here being that of a really good Broadway number from a musical only a few have actually seen. The theatricality of the record is rather murky, with the moods and emotions being complicated ones. That gives the whole project a faintly goth feel, even if the textures are more Philly soul than that. "Revolution", the clear peak Of The Turning Wheel, adds a dash of Kate Bush to Cabral's breathy dream. The cut, with lyrics suggesting a "permanent revolution" of birth and death and rebirth, add to the art here. This is grand, big music delivered with all the hushed intimacy of a confessional masterpiece from any number of prior pioneers of the form.
But all that being said, one is still struck by how fresh this all feels. While a geek like me can pinpoint the points of inspiration behind this record, I'd rather just get lost in it. The Turning Wheel moved me, and it hit at the pleasure points in my brain informed by a liftime of listening to stuff like The Delfonics on the radio as a child, and Hounds of Love as a young man. Spellling runs a risk her of being praised for a record that defies any categorization, and I hope at the end of the year, other reviewers remember this bold, beautiful release.
The Turning Wheel is out now via Sacred Bones.
More details via the official website for Spellling.
[Photo: Adora Wilson]