Moher is a psychedelic folk duo consisting of e.so and Jo Min-gyu. Two incredible artists, in their own right, came together for this project. This is their first release together, and in the album description they wrote that this album is a decision made by two people who met at a distance and wanted to return to their roots. I really recommend looking up Moher on YouTube; they have live videos of almost every track, and it’s a stunning experience.
“You can only see what life is by looking at the back of life.”
‘Aside’ was written and composed by Jo Min-gyu. ‘Aside’ is an impressive opener. I really enjoyed the addition of the Irish bouzouki, a type of string instrument. It’s not very often you come across the instrument in Korean music, though in this album it was used in a lot of tracks. The blend of Jo’s vocals and e.so’s is incredible. The instrumental section with the different animal noises created such a unique ambience. I was transported into a different world.
‘Sand Grave’ continues with the bouzouki and adds an Irish whistle. This is the first of three title tracks. The opening vocal layering is beautiful, and despite its chilling theme, the track sounds soothing.
The following single ‘Baksugijeong’ is one of the longest ones on the album, clocking in at over five minutes. This second title track has a steady pace to travel through its own universe. I like the progression and the interesting instrumentals. This feels a bit country. The bouzouki is going wild in this one.
‘Kaleidoscope’, after which the album was named, comes along with its snazzy tempo and dreamy vocals. I like the echo effect put on the vocal line. I loved the trombone in this. It sounds so warm and adds a lot of dimension to this already interesting track.
‘Dabbling’ continues with the trombone and Jo’s timbre is stunning here. This track sounds like a lament. It is a gripping listen with its rich storytelling and beautiful composition.
The following track, ‘High Noon’ feels like a little bird, you keep in the palm of your hand. You can feel its heartbeat and its breath, and you just know how fragile it is. ‘High Noon’ is a little gem of a song, one that decides to nestle in your favorite playlist.
The track ‘Woman Running Barefoot’ is the third and final title track. They filmed the live clip of this at the Cliffs of Moher and if you’ve visited the cliffs before you know it is windy as hell. In the live clip, the wind feels like its own instrument, alongside the rushing of the waves. It is one of my favorite videos by Moher. In the instrumentals of this one, there’s a bodhran, which is an Irish drum. The melody of this track feels a bit magical.
The lyrics of ‘Poker’ read like such an interesting story. I really enjoyed the rhythm of this one and its rhyme scheme. The mandolin was a great addition to the instrumentals. What a lovely listen!
‘Nostalgia’ scales down the instrumentals with a sole acoustic guitar. The lyrics are only really five sentences repeated throughout the full song, but it creates a trance-like state that will leave you entranced, especially when the small warped chords come in.
The album is closed with the track ‘Name’. For this one, we’re also staying with the acoustic guitar, and it creates a warm ending with a dreamy sound of finding meaning in the meaningless.
This was originally published in our 2024 magazine.
