Supergroup Starling Arrow drops their second single, “Into The River,” a track lifted from their forthcoming debut album, Cradle, slated for release in January 2023.
Starling Arrow explains, “’Into The River’ is a song for acapella vocals and the interplay of harmonics that can happen when you open up to the spontaneity of the voice. Meant as a collective song, it was written by Chloe from Rising Appalachia whilst sitting by a river listening to the rhythm of the moving rocks and churning water. Repetitive. Playful. Overlapping and overlaying so as to be new each time it is sung. Starling Arrow sang this song in free form for the album, with fewer notes and arrangements than some of the other tracks and more of a vocal jam-type air. It is a joyous homage to laying one’s tired body down in the water and letting trials and tribulations be washed away, a theme found in gospel music and traditional music from around the world. As rain finds the rivers, our voices found one another’s for this sweet collaboration and merged into one.”
Made up of Leah Song and Chloe Smith of Rising Appalachia, Tina Malia, Ayla Nereo, and Marya Stark, Starling Arrow was unintentionally conceived during the pandemic’s lockdown. In the wake of canceled tours, the five musicians were inspired to meet weekly over Zoom to collectively sing and alchemize the chaos of a changing world into their craft of songwriting.
Each week they choose a topic and style of song to inspire their writing. Then, the following week, they would share what they had created, in the round, each taking a turn to unveil their song. It was during these sessions the new album was born.
“Into The River” opens with the sound of running water, followed by the entry of Cappella voices under exquisite control, blending into lush sonic layers. Rich and tantalizing, there’s an elegant gospel savor to the intermingling crème de la crème vocals.
Gorgeously wrought, with “Into The River,” Starling Arrow delivers a bravura performance dripping with a sense of luxurious splendor.
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