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Mirabilis
Sub Rosa

Projekt Records / Middle Pillar Presents

Posted: Friday, February 22, 2008
By: Ilker Yücel
Editor

The duo of Dru Allen and Summer Bowman should need no introduction, both having made names for themselves in the darkwave scene as the vocalists for their respective bands, This Ascension and The Machine in the Garden. Besides that, the pair is known for Mirabilis, a musical collective whose primary instrument is the power of their voices amid an array of medieval-tinged classical music. Their first album, Pleiades displayed their lush and atmospheric style, offering listeners a respite from the goth rock of their other bands in favor of something less abrasive though no less intense. While Sub Rosa may not deviate too dramatically from that formula, it does well to add to their already impressive repertoire of dark and ambient beauty.

"World Indifferent" begins the album with the swell of a two-chord procession of strings and light hand drums as Allen's and Bowman's voices dance around each other in a weave of vocal harmonies. The same could be said for "The Vastness," whose sparse marching drumbeat and brass swells conjure images of armored knights on a campaign across windswept moors as the duo's vocals hover like sirens chanting poetry, and the danceable yet ambient swirls of the title track with its muted drums and strings. Other pieces like "Nature Boy," "O Maria Mater Pia," and "Il est Bel at Bon" further emphasize the operative interplay between the two vocalists, while other songs demonstrate a vivid exhibition of instrumental ability, such as on the dulcimer-laden "A Ballade of the Centre" or the harpsichord arpeggios of "Farce." Where Mirabilis paid tribute to Simon & Garfunkel on Pleiades, on Sub Rosa they pay homage to The Beatles with a rendition of "Because," featuring the additional vocals of Rebecca Colleen Miller, enhancing their already verdant harmonies, while Cindy Adzuki Chang contributes her flute and her songwriting to the almost Middle Eastern flavors of "Odyle" and the morose but enticing "The Journey," on which she takes the lead vocal.

Other points of interest include "Angel Eyes," a solo vocal produced to sound like it was played on an old vinyl through a vibraphone, and the club energy of the Restoration mix of "World Indifferent" offers an upbeat closing to the album that brings us full circle, while also demonstrating the dramatic connection between modern darkwave with the more classical Renaissance flavors employed by Mirabilis and many bands in the genre. As stated, there's little deviation from their established style as the music on Sub Rosa once again utilizes a variety of traditional texts and melodies from centuries past, while never straying too far into overly histrionic displays of instrumental virtuosity, preferring to let the power of their voices carry the listener through the album. However, this is hardly a deterrent; the songs presented here are breathtaking in their minimalism and their melodiousness, sure to offer a great deal of enjoyment for those with an ear for passionate and soothing music.