Damon & Naomi never aspire to be the life of the party. Ever since their formative years as members of that perennial shoegazing outfit, Galaxie 300, they’ve purveyed a perennially downcast demeanor, an aching and a longing that’s sad yet sublime. Seven albums on, the mood remains decidedly lethargic and indeed, Within These Walls may be their most meditative opus yet. A series of sprawling soundscapes etched with quiet contemplation, it inches along at a snail’s pace. Yet, there’s a shimmering, incandescent beauty that radiates from these languid ruminations, even if the precious attitude occasionally wears thin. Consequently, those with the patience to navigate this tearstained terrain will stumble upon unexpected rewards, particularly the dewy-eyed folk of “Cruel Queen” and “Debfibrillation” and the yearning caress of “Red Flower,” a dramatic soliloquy that could possibly find a second life as the show-stopping centerpiece of an Andrew Lloyd Weber musical. The ethereal hush of “Lilac Land” and the wistful drift of the title track and “The Turnaround” also boast a beauty all their own. Overall however, the tenuous, elusive melodies offer fleeting pleasures at best, suggesting for all its hypnotic prowess, Within These Walls shelters a lot of lonely space.
--Lee Zimmerman
