On 'we were gods' lynn avalon delivers a droning dreamlike album that is sure to take listeners on what feels like an exploration into the dreams we wake from only to remember fragments of them.
In strong opener 'at that moment, the universe was coming to an end' the album makes its melancholic opening statement with its slow percussive keys striking over lots of drone work that could make the listener cry before it slows even more.
In the next track 'me and my small group were the only ones not afraid' lynn avalon introduces a wonderful violin-sounding instrument layered over the mournful drones for a fleeting few moments before ending abruptly is a true highlight.
In the following tracks 'the woman by my side was the only one who seemed familiar', 'our group faded out of existence one by one, until only us two remained', 'as that reality collapsed around us, she leaned into my face' and "we were gods", she said' sound like they are sequences suspended in time with a repetition that lends itself well to the idea of somehow trying to decipher a dream that we only know part of.
The appropriately named 'and when i woke, only the words remained' resolves the haze that had descended over the previous four tracks. Suddenly we are back at the part of the dream that we remember. The track 'me and my small group were the only ones not afraid' is recalled in this track, this time with percussive notes in place of the violin of the earlier track. The theme familiar, we know this place.
In 'and i laid among the flowers' there's a feeling that not all is settled and despite the image the title suggests there is an unease throughout this track that was not expected. A feeling of unresolved matters?
Finally, 'smiling underneath the rain' sounds like there is some closure to the story even if it appears to come long after the ominous penultimate track. On it we hear the sound of the rain and then we see a rainbow, the sun appears warmer and for the first time in a while there is a sense of calm and a view to looking forward.
(A note from the artist: "I remain unsure, but i decided to release it anyway." - lynn avalon)
I am glad they did.