World Folk jam band may scare some away until they find out about the party they've been missing. In fact, Bardic Form set out to do the very opposite of sending people away with their 2014 EP entitled, 'Lethe'. Merriam Webster defines the word lethe as, Oblivion or Forgetfulness. On their website, the band refers to their album and its title track as social commentary, "a lack of empathy and connection to the human experience".
To hear the band live is to feel and see that connection of humanity. The collection of five impressive compositions on Lethe is a bit of an extension or reaching out of a musical arm begging one engage with another in an offering of joy and merriment. However, It would be unfair to make the attempt at categorizing Bardic Form or their outstanding 2012 recording "Lethe" all together. I think Ry Cooder or David Lynch or Kandinsky might agree with me on that. To suggest the band's sound and 'form' are anything less than stunning would be an understatement. What the band and the album's producers have managed to capture doesn't quite give justice to what Bardic Form are capable of on stage but its as close as any could manage. After seeing the band play, and I do mean "play" in all senses, I began to wonder if Edmonton would even be able to book this crew a few years later.
Parts romantic, cinematic and frantic combine on Lethe to jostle one out of their seats. This is the stuff individual dance breaks at home are made of. The music is wild and unbridled while simultaneously scrupulous in its approach. Like each track on Lethe, the album as a whole builds and builds, falls apart in a controlled explosiveness then works to bridge the gaps once again.
Those who are bored of the same old, same old on their top 40 radio repetitiveness and are somehow reading this can be assured that there's something on Lethe that will address their souls. We all have Bardic Form's music inside of us, there are just some of us who do not know it yet.
Justin Khueng, Reece Rinco, Allyson MacIver and friends were all inspired somehow and at some point early on to work at mastering their various instrument. If one can listen to Lethe without soaking up some of that inspiration, I would have to imagine their biases have canceled their ability to be objective.
If you've already had the opportunity to see and hear Bardic Form live, you've most likely reached out with your humanity with arms and torso and lively feet. After you listen to Lethe, you'll find yourself doing it again. Bardic Form's 2012 EP puts them well on their way to 'World Music Domination'.
-- Val Christopher
Listen Now
On Capital City Records!