There’s always been something quite magical about the amalgamation of classical music and field recordings. One thinks of ‘A Summer Long Since Passed’ by Virginia Astley in the 1980s, or more recently, A Winged Victory For The Sullen’s ‘All Farewells Are Sudden”, from 2011.
On “Hidden Walls”, The Opening Song’s debut album - a duo consisting of Stuart Mayor on piano, orchestration, and production, and Mark Whiteside on vocals, with the addition of guest vocalist Valerie Birss performing spoken-word segments - inhabits the same space as these lauded works, and offers a heady and emotive rumination on life and love, told through airy instrumental piano-led passages, deft classical flourishes, and impossibly pretty vignettes penned by the sometime-drummer and vocalist of a metal band.
If you’re aware of Mark’s elder-statesman alter-ego ‘One Sided Horse’, you’ll know that his love of singer-songwriters and ‘70s arrangements play heavily into his solo work. On this album, he adds his grand, almost soliloquy-like lyrics to a meticulously studied backdrop of neo-classical - some might say even ambient - music performer by Stuart Mayor. The combination works to dazzling effect, and each track packs an emotional heft that can strike into the soft white underbelly of anyone who has ever loved - or lost. “Better With You” opens with majestic piano chords leading into Mark’s mournful lyric pleading that ‘My life is better with you’, before the song becomes a joy, full of life. “Kite” is an emotive, almost hymnal number with Mark telling his love that ‘You give me the reason to want each day’.
His words strike a chord without sounding too specific; a neat trick which allows each song to have a broad appeal, giving the listener ample opportunity to apply the words to a situation that may mean something to them. It’s a technique employed by some of the biggest bands in the world, and it’s used to great effect here.
The centrepiece of “Hidden Walls” is the twenty minute “The Closing Suite”, a five-part symphony incorporating Valerie’s soft spoken-word, Mark’s vocal, and a variety of what sounds like field recordings of water and birds. The ambient noise glistens over gorgeous piano melodies very much in the vein of Dustin O’Halloran, creating a delightful Eno-esque soundscape. “Close the Door” and “Acceptance” are almost late-period Nick Cave in parts. The string embellishments add depth, and as the embers of the fire that crackles die down, a stunning string coda takes the listener to a magical place. It’s reminiscent of Coldplay’s downtempo mid-career ‘quiet’ record, “Ghost Stories”. Utterly beautiful.
“Something So Good” is a meditative piece. Mark’s vocals are an almost hushed mantra and lean heavily on celestial themes as he sings ‘I see the stars shine upon me like your smile.’ It’s a beautiful moment in an album packed with beautiful moments.
“What I’ve Waited For” - the opening track - sets the scene for the rest of the record. Ambient and classical notes caress the listener creating a setting which takes you to another place.
“Hidden Walls”plays very much like a soundtrack by Thomas Newman or Hans Zimmer (albeit in their more introspective moments and with the addition of vocals) and it’s a credit to the musicianship of the players that each track is given time to breathe. Nothing is wasted. Nothing extraneous is added. The listener is carried along on a sublime journey that does not rush. It’s a record that envelops you in its languid elegance. Whilst listening to “Hidden Walls”, I thought about scenes from a film that didn’t really exist, except for in my imagination. In one, I pictured two lovers standing on a beach as an impending Armageddon approaches. This is big music that invokes big imagery.
Buy into it, and you’ll be richly rewarded. “Hidden Walls” is released through Butterfly Effect Records.
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