Husband and wife folk-pop duo October Gold spin dense acoustic-minded tales involving characters who have a need and an affinity for a more pastoral way of life–mirroring, I would imagine, the group’s own personal beliefs. The graceful, bucolic ease with which singer/songwriter Kit Soden and violinist Aliza Thibodeau approach their songs feels inviting and communal in a way that is often missing from their alt-folk brethren. Inclusive without seeming to pander, and earnest without pointlessly strumming their listener’s heartstrings, Soden and Thibodeau allow their music to unfurl naturally, never forcing notes where they don’t belong and allowing the songs to exist without any overt outside interference. Their latest album, Bridge of the Sun, folds tightly-knit folk rhythms with lyrics drawn from author Steven Erikson’s best-selling series, The Malazon Book of the Fallen.
For the video to Bridge-cut “Old Stones,” the band explores a more literal interpretation of the lyrics. Interspersed with scenes of Soden and Thibodeau performing in a gorgeous studio atmosphere, there are quick images and clips of visits to graveyards, cathedrals, and stone-covered streets. These scenes of rustic beauty pair perfectly with the spry acoustic fretwork and striking, though somewhat somber, melodies of Thibodeau’s violin. The rhythmic complexity of the track, composed with the casual ease of people who know each other’s musical proclivities inside and out, never feels showy or ostentatious but permits the vocal harmonies and instrumental interchange between them to stay center-stage.
Beats Per Minute is pleased to premiere October Gold’s video for “Old Stones,” taken from their recently released album Bridge of the Sun.
