Smith, Clark Ashton: The Muse of Hyperborea

Cadabra Records does a beautiful job of releasing specialty albums that highlight the spoken arts. They also do a great job connecting people to the joys of listening to stories read aloud, something that seems increasingly lost. Even better, Cadabra brings listeners recordings of works by H. P. Lovecraft and some of his major contemporaries. Each release is worth checking out. They have cool packaging (including some exciting art), solid production, and expert performances in both word and music. On this album, the band Theologian once again provides background music that is perfectly moody and understated. The readings, performed by Lovecraft scholar S. T. Joshi, also sound great. Joshi has a strong voice and he trusts the listener enough to let the words do their own work.

For some readers, Clark Ashton Smith may not be a familiar name. Smith was a contemporary of Lovecraft's and shared that author's fascination for the archaic, the uncanny, and the weird. Lovecraft admired Smith's work greatly and both men corresponded for many years. Smith, a writer and a sculptor, wrote over 100 stories and produced just as much poetry. This collection of 18 poems highlights some of Smith's best work and generally makes for good listening, especially for fans either of Smith or of Lovecraft. For those unfamiliar with either of these authors, some of the reasons to enjoy this material may not be immediately obvious. Nevertheless, it's worth checking out Cadabra Records and their increasingly large catalog of spoken word releases.

Track Listing:
1. The Muse of Hyperborea, Side A
2. The Muse of Hyperborea, Side B

Added: May 3rd 2017
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Label Page
Hits: 1338
Language: english

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