The Clearing is a record that almost didn’t happen for local duo Bowerbirds. Faced with illness and a temporary break-up, Beth Tacular and Phil Moore spent a year apart. The two got back together and wrote new songs. After recording most of them in Wisconsin, the band ended up having to spend months reworking them back home in Pittsboro.
In a way, The Clearing is the perfect title for this record. It’s a clearing-away of the past in addition to clearing out a new path for Bowerbirds. Its subject matter handles the band’s recent trials and triumphs, while its rich, lush instrumentation engulfs listeners without drowning them. This is undoubtedly Bowerbirds’ strongest record. It’s a stunning collection of songs that blooms slowly but sticks with listeners long after it hits its final notes.
The Clearing kicks off with “Tuck the Darkness In,” a cool track that eases the listener into the record with swelling harmonies. It does well to set the pace of the whole album.
One of the biggest differences between The Clearing and the band’s other material is Tacular’s presence as a lead vocalist. On tracks like “In the Yard” and “Hush,” her voice floats along, sounding gentle but completely sincere. At the same time, her voice is confident, not shying away from being the centerpiece of the songs. It’s almost hard to believe she waited until the band’s third record to let her vocals really shine. Her and Moore’s voices complement each other well — it’s like each was made to be with the other.
“Hush” starts slowly with haunting coos, but quickly picks up with alternating rhythms that skip like the beat of an anxious heart. The only track that doesn’t immediately seize the listener’s attention is “Overcome with Light,” but it’s here that Bowerbirds’ reflections on life’s good parts really shine through. “Now I’m overcome with light,” Moore sings, continuing, “Yes, we had some hard work/But now it’s right.” It ambles along, occasionally straying with the jangle of an acoustic guitar.
“Death Wish” starts winding the album down, and closes with an elegant mixture of horns and strings before it seamlessly segues into the final track, “Now We Hurry On.” The song and album come to a slow finish with quiet tinkling noises. If starlight had a soundtrack, it would be this song’s final minute and 40 seconds.
It’s hard to find many faults on The Clearing. Everything sounds clean and deliberate without being overambitious or overproduced. All elements are precisely where they belong, coming and going at just the right moments.
Much of what Tacular and Moore have said about the record has indicated that The Clearing is the most difficult, drawn-out album they’ve done. But the result is a beautiful, well-crafted record.
The Clearing is clearly a catharsis with the underlying message of, “Yes, life can be difficult, but it can be just as beautiful.” The record is powerful and moving without being confrontational or aggressive. Overall, The Clearing is nothing short of absolutely breathtaking — take the time to listen and let it clear out your own mind a bit.
