Force of Light pays tribute to poet and Holocaust survivor Paul Celan.  Eight lengthy pieces, all written by Dan Kaufman and performed by the art-noir band Barbez, set Celan’s words to tumultuous, crystal-clear music.  Scottish poet Fiona Templeton recites Celan’s poetry while the musical backing, a sublime, shifting swell of guitar, strings, marimba, vibes, theremin, and else, twists itself into knots before fraying and coming undone.  The difficulty, of course, is for the band to match the virtuosity of Celan’s writing, but they’re altogether risen to the occasion, producing an album that is both melancholic and sharp as razorwire.  Full of dramatic tension,Force of Light fulfills the promise of an homage; it contains multitudes.

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