Oeuvre Overview: B'eirth

by O.S.

[Note: All Oeuvre Overviews are always works in progress. Reviews for albums may be expanded and modified, ratings may be subtly adjusted to reflect changing opinions.]


Image Source: http://www.ingowanring.com

American (allegedly Ohio-born) composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist B. Eirth has been active in experimental music since the early 1990s, and is best known for his work under the name of In Gowan Ring. This project has produced four full length albums of experimental folk, incorporating elements from traditional folk, mediaeval and renaissance music, drone, and psychedelia. In addition, B'ee, as he is often called, has contributed to many other projects. Among the more important are B'eirth's Pscikadilik Psyrkuz, an experimental project from the early 1990s and Birch Book (started in 2005), the name under which he records singer/songwriter and americana pieces.

What I like most about B'ee's music is the sophistication that goes into all aspects of it. Over the years, B'ee's has not only become a flowery poet, but also a very skilful musician and composer, not to mention instrument builder. In his music, this can be seen in different ways. The earliest In Gowan Ring albums show a very rich sound, where many instruments work together to create magical atmospheres that merge with psychedelic and mystical songs to achieve something unique. In later works, however, the same level of high skill is applied to more naked songs, where it's simply the lyrics and melodies that show their beauty.

On this page, we'll give an overview and review of many releases from B'ee's career, adding items as we go along through time.

After releasing a tape as B'eirth's Pscikadilik Psyrkuz, and contributing to various other projects, relatively lost in obscurity, B'ee debuted as In Gowan Ring with Love Charms in 1994, which was distributed through World Serpent. I imagine this album must have stood out at the time, introducing a mysterious, profound sound into the then still developing world of neofolk music. Working through a host of stringed instruments, flutes, various percussions, and "other sundries", B'ee and his bandmates created an excellent piece of weird, psychedelic, dark, and above all, beautiful music. 'Regular' - as far as that term is applicable to In Gowan Ring's music - songs were interspersed with freaky instrumentals like the title track and the "Dreambox" passages, giving the whole a ritual character on top of it. The songs themselves have obscure lyrics - themes like rings, water, flowers return often - perfectly fitting to the music, and here we already see the poetic quality of B'ee's writings, which returns more explicitly in later albums with printed lyrics. All in all, this was an excellent debut album, and incidentally perhaps also B'ee's darkest album, in terms of sound. Perhaps a fitting choice for Shayo Records to re-release?

Three years on, and the world saw the release of In Gowan Ring's second album. I don't know what people's expectations were at the time, but I can imagine that people were quite pleased with the follow-up of Love Charms. The Twin Trees is in many respects 'larger' than its predecessor, with more instruments, longer tracks, and in general a denser feel. Less dark, the focus is on extensive songs and soundscapes, deep in the mystical and organic atmosphere of the band. I was, and am still, quite impressed with this album, and it stands as a milestone in psychedelic folk.

>>Click here to read the original eclipse review

Abend the Knurled Stitch O'er The Glinting Spade, or just The Glinting Spade, as it is commonly referred to, is the third In Gowan Ring, and while it has everything in it to be one of the best of the full length albums, or perhaps even the best, it's actually may be the worst - or at least: the least good. As the album starts off, the slightly less dense sound, compared to the previous album, strikes you, as does the wonderful sound of the guitar and other string instruments. "Two Wax Dolls" and "To Thrum a Glassy Stem" are both excellent examples of the wonderful songrwriting B'ee had arrived to in this stage. And then there's "Cipher's String on the Tree in the Dream of the Queen", which has to be my favourite In Gowan Ring song ever. All through its thirteen minutes it displays the best sides of B'ee's music: warm vocals, rich guitar and harp passages, calm parts, and even a strange, psychy dance at the end. Pure brilliance. The sad part is, from this part on the album drags a little. "Bow Star" is a drone, but not as interesting as "By Moss Strand and Waterspathe" from the previous album. It's warm, but also a bit dull. Then follow two shorter songs, a brief return to the good parts about this album. In the end however, it all finishes off with "Milk Star", another drone, and longer this time. There is little difference between this one and "Bow Star", and it would certainly have been possible to make something interesting out of it. However, that didn't happen, and it's things like this that keep this album from being as good as the others.

After releasing Hazel Steps Through a Weathered Home, which turned out to be the final full-length album, B'ee decided to release collections of oddities, live and alternative versions on a series of homebrewed CD-Rs. The result was the now much sought-after Exists and Entrances series, which contained four parts, released on the spring and autumn solstices of 2002 and 2003. In 2007, the entire collection was rereleased on 2xCD by Ahnstern records, and it contains almost all the tracks of the original editions, and well over two and a half hours of music. More than any other release, this compilation shows the versatility and diversity of B'ee's music, as it contains a wide selection of covers, traditional folk songs, and original tracks. Side by side are Nick Drake's "Way to Blue", "Death and the Maiden", the comedic live performance of "The Black One", and the subtle dark beauty of "A Bottle of Wine". Just a tiny selection out of forty tracks, of course, but these are definitely some of my favourites. In any case, I think it's a thrilling collection of folk songs, and it shouldn't be absent from the collection of any In Gowan Ring fan.

Between both Birch Book albums, Tangles of the Vine was released, featuring live recordings from the Dutch VPRO radio, aired in 2005. The set contains a pleasant mix of tracks from the first Birch Book album, a couple from the second, as well as some exclusive tracks, and an In Gowan Ring track from the same period. The sound is clear and intimate, fitting to B'ee's new musical direction, and features Annelies Monseré on backing vocals. A nice download-only interlude between the two full-length albums.

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The second Birch Book album marked a progression from the sound of the first. While Birch Book was perhaps a tad monotonous, relying mostly on a laid-back singer/songwriter style, Fortune & Folly adds some new touches. Most of the first half of the album is also in that style, with "Whisper in the Pine" as a definite highlight, but tracks like "Diaspora" and "Zephyr Through Willows" add a bit of a dreamy instrumental touch that makes this album more varied than its predecessor. "The Carnival is Empty" is the crown on the album, one of the best melancholic songs B'ee has ever made.

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B'ee's latest release is the Time is a Spiral EP, released on a limited run by Clear Spot records, as first part of a series of experimental folk records. Featured here are six tracks, like Tangles of the Vine from a VPRO radio session, only these were recorded in 2003. B'ee only sings and plays guitar, while long-standing In Gowan Ring member Amber plays flute and does the backing vocals. Especially interesting on this nice EP are "Boat of the Moon" and "Along the Stragglin' Way", both rare tracks, and the new versions of "Cupped Hands Spell" and "Dandelion Wine", from the first two albums.

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So far, this is the last release, but I believe at least three releases are to be expected, if all goes as planned. One is a 7" by either Birch Book or In Gowan Ring, to be released by Little Somebody Records, the other is a video registration of the gig with Sieben and Faun in Utrecht of 12th October 2007. Finally, a live-CD from performances in Portugal together with Maja Elliott should be out in early 2008.

All related articles:

Album reviews:

• Birch Book - Tangles of the Vine (7,5/10)
• Birch Book - Fortune & Folly (9/10)
• Birch Book - November 19th, 2006 (DVD) (7,5/10)
• In Gowan Ring - The Twin Trees (eclipse)
• In Gowan Ring - Time Is a Spiral (8/10)
  
  Compilations and guest contributions:
  
• V.A. - Forseti Lebt (5/10)
• V.A. - Winged We Were (Incredible String Band Tribute) (7,5/10)
  
  
• Forseti - Erde (eclipse)
  
  Concert reviews:
  
• In Gowan Ring, Sieben, Faun (Utrecht, 12.10.2007)