Diffracting through a greenwood canopy, the poetic words and music of vocalist/violinist/pianist Alice Zawadzki illuminate her unique artistry and the concept behind ‘Within You is a World of Spring’ - the follow-up to acclaimed Whirlwind debut release ‘China Lane’.
Zawadzki leads an inspiring band of musicians and improvisers in realising her extraordinary, often moving, occasionally droll, original songs: Fred Thomas (piano, drums, percussion, banjo, organ), Rob Luft (guitar), Misha Mullov-Abbado (double bass) and Hyelim Kim (taegum). Integral to the impressive, layered detailing is the Amika String Quartet of Simmy Singh, Laura Senior, Lucy Nolan and Peggy Nolan, and engineer Alex Killpartrick.
Urgent portamento strings and intense drumming powerfully energise the title track, its words (‘When I feel done and done, your Spring returns to heal’) inspired by an Emil Aarestrup poem. Working in the ‘Calais Jungle’ proved lifechanging for Alice, witnessing the resilience, dignity and goodness of many people there. So “God’s Children” asks us not to forget their plight through diaphanous, tumbling phrases and anthemic affirmation. Near-operatic “Superior Virtue” recalls a beautiful, unfulfilled encounter, as violin, guitar and piano textures twinkle, while tongue-in-cheek romance “Es Verdad” jigs with infectious, whimsical abandon.
Fluttering bamboo taegum (Korean flute) evokes Zawadzki’s woodland discovery as ambient swirls cushion her path through a love poem to one who could not cry, yet finally... “The tears running down his face are more rare and precious than jewels”. The other tracks include the sumptuously soulful “Keeper” emphasises the thread of ‘change’ - described as “those moments where the passage of time refracts and bends, where the end is the start and the start is the end” - heightened by blissful blue guitar.
