Impermanence

Burntfield

From their EPK, "At the rising of the sun your house is built on stone […]
January 10, 2022
Burntfield - Impermanence album cover

From their EPK, "At the rising of the sun your house is built on stone foundations and the hand in yours is warm. Your future is painted in certain, solid colours and the rays of dawn touch all you see with gold. Yet in the space of a few brief hours, clouds gather and rain falls. The view ahead is lost in shadow, that hand of warmth and support turns cold and slips from your grasp and stone turns to sand. At the setting of the sun all you know lies broken and loss haunts the fallen ruins. The last flickers of gold are doused in the purple hues of dusk and the night of impermanence has begun..."

The album contains eight tracks. "Empty Dream" leads us off. It opens with soft piano notes and smooth, clean vocals. The main riff kicks in, and the melody is expanded. It has a sad quality to it, sort of like the title of the song. Can you imagine if all of your dreams were empty? "Back Again" begins with a familiar guitar riff and some harmonized vocals. The real melodies open up in the chorus and are catchy and alluring. "Trust in You" begins with a Poppy but sensible melody. It develops from there with vocal and guitar harmonies that are both tender and elevated. Try not to sing along with this, I dare you.

"Something Real" is an absolutely beautiful song, full of tender and emotive harmonies and once again, catchy guitar parts. Female vocals join in the duet and wow does this song pack a punch of sentiments. "The Light" begins with clean guitar elements and vocal harmonies that are both bright and murky. It's like a salesman is trying to sell you something you know is tasty but somehow he isn't doing a good of a job as he could. You can see the light but it is somehow just out of reach. "Thank You for Everything" is a sentimental song meant for someone or something unnamed. The lyrics speak of pain and discomfort, but also with a heartfelt resolve to rise above all of that.

"Impermanence" is the nine-minute opus that really defines what the album is trying to get across. It opens with a heavier guitar riff but those harmonized vocals really shine here. The sound drops to just piano and ambient background elements towards the half-way mark, oozing with larger questions mouthed silently from a reticent subject. It continues this way towards the end, but the hopeful and graceful guitar tones at the end suggest he was able to make a decision that he can live with. "Everything Will Change" closes the album. It is perhaps more of a statement of the inevitable in. As it swells and the wind shifts, you must learn to move with the modulation of life. With each day there is a death, but also a new life.

"Impermanence" is defined as "the state of lasting only for a limited time." I sure hope that this statement doesn't apply to this band, as here is definitely a fresh quality to their tender and very catchy sound. I don't care if you call this Pop music or not, just make sure you call it what it is...outstanding. It left me to contemplate many things...some things that I honestly don't have an answer for. This is the impact great music can have on you. Let "Impermanence" whisk you away from your working blues, and every other problem in your life, and ponder bigger pictures of what could have been, and what could be, if only for the brief moments in which the music lasts...

9 / 10

Almost Perfect

Songwriting

9

Musicianship

9

Memorability

10

Production

9
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"Impermanence" Track-listing:

1. Empty Dream
2. Back Again
3. Trust in You
4. Something Real
5. The Light
6. Thank You for Everything
7. Impermanence
8. Everything Will Change

Burntfield Lineup:

Juho Myllylä - Vocals/Guitars
Maarten Vos - Bass
Steven Favier - Drums

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