Old Woman Corn Mother

Whoever said that the album as a concept was dead and gone may have to re-evaluate his position after listening to Argentina based Old Woman Corn Mother's LP Born in the Mountain, Dead in the Sea.

I admit, in today's blogosphere share-a-track environment, I too was in the habit of collecting tracks rather than immediately procure entire records (unless I felt an immediate connection to the artist, like in the case of Shearwater or The Tallest Man on Earth). But, after stumbling upon this record, I feel I have missed something, that out of sequence and context torn tracks lose something when listened to individually. There are ups and downs in every record, but sometimes it's the overall landscape that matters.

Another net enigma, the moniker of Old Woman Corn Mother brings to my imagination a seasoned venerable native American woman sitting proudly in her tepee, dispensing wisdom upon younger members of her tribe, making the most fabulous corn bread in a 100 miles radius. The album, which must be listened to as a cohesive unit, brought certain fleeting images, some of personal nature. On occasion I sensed as if someone was playing memories, bringing forgotten things to life; memories of family and home, travel and longing. I was somehow reminded of the work of Nico Muhly, but from a somehow different angle, perhaps more personal.

It was a surprise and a pleasure to encounter these feelings again.

Listen to Old Woman Corn Mother on MySpace, last.fm and virb. The album, Born in the Mountain, Dead in the Sea, is available for free download on the last.fm page. The EP Goodbye [Letters from anywhere but home] is available for free download on virb.

Old Woman Corn Mother - Breeze on the Hills {MP3} (from Born in the Mountain, Dead in the Sea)
Old Woman Corn Mother - The Fallen Leaf {MP3} (from Goodbye [Letters from anywhere but home])