Ambergris – Snowblink Ambergris – Snowblink (Free Download / Buy)

Released on Fire Records, Long Live from the talented Toronto duo Snowblink (@snowblinksays) is undoubtedly one of the most gorgeous albums I’ve ever encountered. Scaled down from a larger California group, Daniela Gesundheit ventured to Canada in 2008 and joined forces with Dan Coldman of Luxury Pond to form this soulful folk sensation. The fostering of a smaller, two-person effort translates perfectly into the less-is-more sensibility this album possesses.

While it is not uncommon to find us cursing the harsh winter, there still exists revelry for that gentle snowfall that can stop time for just an instant. It is that arresting sort of beauty that is the essence of Snowblink’s quiet and calming music.

As you can probably tell, I find myself feeling much more poetic about Long Live than filled with concrete explanation. Daniela’s angelic soprano vocals detail some truly beautiful and captivating imagery, weaving a songbird’s tale of trees and breezes, antlers and ambergris. The lyrics are a vivid journey through nature, as though you’ve stepped outside, closed your eyes, and finally paused to embrace the splendor of the world. There lives a stunning lyric in “The Tired Bees” that could actually be used as a descriptor of their sound, which reads: “One little tremble as tender as a frost crawling into pond.”

These fifteen delicate tracks are fleeting yet memorable, some lasting only a minute or so long, dancing rhythmically on the most enchanting minimalistic acoustic melodies. A moderate tempo remains consistent throughout the entirety of the album, keeping the progression pleasant and never jarring. Touches of piano chords on songs like “Sea Change” and the faintest of percussion as heard on “Bulb, For Later” add even more to the already brimming charm and whimsy of the album.

It is the ethereal whispers of each track, though, that implore you to lean in your ear ever so closely to pay the utmost attention. After emerging from the dreamlike bliss of listening to Long Live, I dare you not to fall head over heels for Snowblink.