There aren’t many subjects that Byorn Gold hasn’t explored through his prolific output of music; his back catalog is akin to a library where you can find whatever you happen to be interested in: film, books, myths, history, biography, and, although gently so, philosophy. And if travel and reengagement with the wonder of the world have been touched on from time to time, with his latest album, the aptly named How Beautiful the World Is, they become the focal point.
As is usual, these thirteen tracks are arranged around three themed EPs. And if North, South, and Around, respectively, feel like compass points, their direction of travel is often as much metaphorical as actual. If the first represents ideas of identity and struggle, the second introduces themes of reflection and vulnerability, then the final offerings bring them all together, promoting shared connection and unity.
The oriental charms of “Heads and Tails” carry us towards the far east and into the past, a cinematic and scintillating sound delivering the story of a koi carp turning into a dragon, representing personal growth and transformation, a reminder that Gold’s stories are always multilayered affairs, that they should be taken at more than face value. The deeper you explore, the more rewarding they are.
“Five Stones” is also a song about ritual and teaching, a lilting, Americana-infused blend of chiming guitars and country groove, and if such meetings of Eastern philosophy and western styles, then you need to go back and listen to Willie Nelson and his lyrical mix of Daoist philosophy, Cherokee wisdom, and Texas cowboy common sense. You will find they have a lot in common.
The gentle “Waterfall” talks of loss and renewal in a general sense, and as much as the subtle nature of the song is perfect for such reflections, it somehow also captures the silence and serenity of the Icelandic countryside, which inspired it. “We’ll Always Have Paris” is a more specific take on such thoughts and feelings, inspired by the romantic goodbye scene between the main characters in Casablanca, a shuffling slice of late-night jazz, and a musing on what might have been.
If ever the word anthemic was correctly applied, it is with “Glory” a tribute to the struggles of the Ukrainian nation and the hardships faced by its people, in the style of a rousing, martial prayer and by contrast, “Reflections From the Rooftops” is a love letter to Rio de Janeiro, its culture and climate, its beauty and gentle ways, perfectly playing out through Brazil’s iconic Bossa Nova grooves, a sonic cityscape growing before your eyes.
Staying in South America, “It’d Be a Better World Then” lingers on the landscape of Chilean Patagonia, capturing the beauty of its rugged vistas and awesome backdrops as Spanish guitars drive home a message of what the world would be like if humanity had stayed at home in nature, rather than bending it to its will.
Inspired both by climbing Kilimanjaro and the music of London soul siren Sade, “Vulnerable” is a deft and delicate slice of neo-soul meets pop, and “What The Rivers Remember” is an Aboriginal Australian dreamtime chant where human and spirit voice navigate time and landscape and memory, where the past and the present are one. Timeless, of course, but a timely reminder of the plight of those people in the face of encroaching modernity.
Set to an island vibe and reggaeton groove, “None of the Above” talks of global identity and the marvelous diversity of the world, and “One Song, One World” is World music in its broadest and best form, a soundtrack to the same, multicultural idea where creed, class, culture, and color become meaningless in the face of unity.
And the above message is then amplified by the West African-inspired “It Starts With You,” a song that wouldn’t have felt out of place on Paul Simon‘s classic Graceland, and a reminder that change starts with the individual.
The album rounds off with the quiet meditation that is the title track, which makes perfect sense when you look at the album art and the landscape that inspired it.
This, arguably, is world music in its purest form. Not music that reflects a specific culture or tradition, but an album of songs that gathers myriad aspects and sounds and styles and genres and weaves them not only into music that shimmers with the diversity, color, and beauty of the world but also, lyrical, sometimes indirectly, other times in no uncertain terms, calls for unity, understanding, compassion, and love. And when did the world ever not need more of those such rare traits?