Thursday, December 9, 2010

BEST OF 2010 (songs) #18 Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - There Is A Light

Thee silver mt. zion - There is a light from Nsf on Vimeo.


"There Is A Light" is a fifteen minute epic waltz that illustrates why Silver Mt. Zion is one of the most powerful bands on earth when they are firing on all cylinders. Combining folk, southern gospel and, of course, crushing agit-rock, the song soars to unbearable heights before smashing itself into bits. Lead singer and guitarist Efrim Menuck has the rare ability to sing rousing laments to idealism that easily rip your heart right out and bring tears to the eyes. This guy would absolutely kill at an Irish wake. "There Is A Light," is a perfect example of Efrim's gift, as he sings about attempting to craft a better world, facing defeat and striving to still believe in hope, even if there may be no reason to. It is gut-wrenching stuff that reaches beyond platitudes and into the most bare human experience of anyone who has ever looked at the injustice and horror of the world and said 'we can do better,' only to watch best intentions go up in flames. It is a sentiment that probably a lot of Americans can relate to these days. What further elevates the song, other than the music, is Efrim's, and by extension our own, complicated relationship with hope. At times he appears ready to abandon it, but then turns around and searches in earnest for its light.

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