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Dandelion – The Wailing Wall Dandelion – The Wailing Wall (Pre-order)

The Wailing Wall, aka NYC based instrumentalist Jesse Rifkin, is another band that fellow writer (Drone) told me about that I really like. However, with all the other things going on in my life, I only had time to listen to a little bit of his previous album, Hospital Blossoms. Jesse’s music has earned rave reviews from The Forward (which said that he is much like “Bob Dylan meets the reggae-punk band The Bad Brains), MTVU, The Faster Times, and coolhunting.com. After listening to The Low Hanging Fruit, I can honestly say, I haven’t heard anything like The Wailing Wall.

The album is a blend of cultural sounds and instruments, and after listening to it, I learned that Rifkin is heavily influenced by all sorts of cultures, mysticism, and religions. His parents met in a Siddha Yoga ashram in California, and he has said that he is inspired by the poetry of the Bible, and the writings of St. John of the Cross, Rumi, Hindu Kirtan chanting, and even Baroque church music. The track (one of my favorites) Bones Become Rainbows reflects these many influences, with a tambourine, drum beat and hand clapping which escalates into an almost Hindu-Indian music sound as Jesse sings about his bones becoming rainbows and his skin melting.  C.M.R. is a more personal track, which is reminiscent of Bob Dylan and even Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, where Jesse sings, “what a weight to feel, God knows we chose a real rough road to travel,” over the occasional harping. Many of the tracks reflect his inner spirituality and have a reflective quality to them that’s wonderful and beautiful.

One of the things I love most about the album is how much Jesse plays with so many different sounds; each song being completely different from the last. One of my other favorite tracks (okay I have a lot!) is Ryan Adams-esque Dandelion, in which he sweetly sings, “I’m yours love, and you are mine, but our fortunes blown like a dandelion.” It’s the most eccentric, yet wonderfully different love song I’ve heard in a long time. Song is another alt-country-esque love song with lyrics like, “give me kisses from your mouth, your love is sweet like wine. Traveling through north and south, I’m so glad you’re mine.” I’m a sucker for love songs, but only when they’re well-written and memorable, and this song, and the entire album for that matter, is just that. I love this album; it’s a great summer album, with music for every mood. I give it a 7.2/10.