I’ve been daydreaming a lot recently. Perhaps it’s the pastel shadows of winter sparking my imagination, or maybe it’s a natural response to the rather chaotic events of the last several months. Another likely possibility is a deep desire to reconnect with my inner child. Whatever the reason may be, I’ve taken great joy in allowing my mind to wander, dreaming up glittering landscapes and wondrous fairy tales as I drift off to sleep every night.
Such enthralling daydreams, in my opinion, deserve an equally enthralling soundtrack. When I was introduced to Time’s Pearly Wounds by Levi Taschuk, I was immediately drawn to the ethereal and surreal elements of each song. This EP is only three tracks long, but in spite of its limited run time, it delivers a veritable feast for the ears. One can imagine wandering the fantastic labyrinth of the goblin king Jareth as Levi’s delicate vocals and meandering harmonies create an atmosphere of gossamer wonder.
The opening track, “Undone,” immediately pulls the listener into Levi’s magical world as shimmering strings and a gentle synth ostinato whirl like a carousel. “Undone” reminds me of kelp forests, shuddering in the deep blue-green of the sea, filtering sunlight like stained glass in a cathedral of leaves. The mournful lyrics croon to the listener of loneliness and loss: “Sometimes you scrap a song / No one to sing along / When you give your all / We all must, one day, take that bow.”
“Balancing Act” falls second on Time’s Pearly Wounds, shifting the mood of the EP from dreamy and ethereal to slightly more surreal – perhaps even bordering on nightmarish. Neatly-controlled vocals bend, slide, and crack to create an unsettled atmosphere, supported by gainy guitars and howling background voices. Throughout the song, Levi’s haunting voice is addressing someone (a friend, perhaps, or a lover), telling them that “Life is simple, baby / It’s a balancing act.” The lyrics are clearly facetious, spinning common platitudes against a musical backdrop that creates unease and dissonance.
The charming and eccentric fairy tale that is Time’s Pearly Wounds is closed by “Time,” a song so beautiful and melancholy that it demands multiple listens to allow its effect to fully sink in. Levi’s vocals here are plaintive and soft, sharing with us a moment of introspection and tenderness. “Where did the night go? / It just paled like the moon / These nights I’m of the mind that / Light and dark are one.” Strings and gently picked guitar lend an endearing, folksy quality to this song, wrapping up the fable of Time’s Pearly Wounds with a bittersweet ending that lingers like hazy perfume.
Levi Taschuk has created a delicately surrealist folk confection that deserves close listening. Each song is a glowing conch shell, thrumming with ocean waves as you raise it to your ear. From the strings that resonate through each track to the magical quality that the gentle vocals capture, Time’s Pearly Wounds is a daydream that I will return to again and again.
Written by Britta Joseph
