PARIDAE ARCHIVE

Fluvius is also the sound of an artist mastering the production and engineering of their own music. This is her second collection of songs recorded at her home in Manitou Springs and nearly every second brims with confidence and the presence of an artist fully in the moment. It’s remarkable how full a single guitar can sound in this setting, reminiscent of the acoustic songwriter sound epitomized by Iron & Wine, Joanna Newsom, Dashboard Confessional, Elliot Smith and other acts of that era.

“Only Heart” opens the album with eerily twinned vocals over a sparse guitar line, sounding massive yet intimate. This is music for headphone listening, cranked up enough to blot out the whole world and find yourself floating on a sea of her words. Palm muted acoustic guitar creates a propulsive push and pull with little sustain, creating gaps in the accompaniment allowing the vocals to stand alone in the moment.

“Weapons Down” arrives with lushly strummed reverb laden guitar, contrasting nearly perfectly with the previous songs instrumentation. This is guitar that fills the world with warmth and love as Paridae sings with an increasingly strong voice lines like tell me the secrets you hold, I am safer the deeper the we go and the chorus of lay down your weapons my love, a fire, an anchor, a lighthouse at my door before ending with a nearly whispered last chorus over a perfectly phrased gentle strum of that world-filling guitar.

The fingerpicked intro of “You Are Good” is further evidence of the masterful production and arranging Paridae put into this piece of work. Chiming guitars provide a foundation for a richly textured, warm and present lead vocal confidently stating positive affirmations, firmly rejecting ambivalence and self deprecation.

Hearing her sing I’m right here, You are strong, you are so strong you don’t even need my goddamn song, You are good, I love you, I am here and you are strong in your ear makes the listener feel like they’re in the same room with a good friend, there for you in a dark time.  A truly powerful song fully immersed in the moment.

Ambivalence returns lyrically and sonically with “Even This One”, as darker sounding resonant finger picked chords undergird questing vocals with lines like I am, not a goddess, I’m just a human, made of water, and a burden shared is a burden cut in half, even this one, my love - feeling like half of an overheard conversation. The warmth present in the words, vocals and guitar tones wrap the listener like a blanket by a fire.

The closing track, “Safe” employs similar resonant fingerpicked guitar lines, feeling almost like a continuation of the previous track initially. There is a real momentum to this song in the guitar rhythm that carries it forward, while the vocals grapple with profound emotions.

The line I do not know, anything, you can’t forget, anything, will you just please, put this down, my head is heavy and i’m gonna drown contrasts with the later line honey you are safe, safe to feel, you are safe, safe to heal, honey you are safe, safe to feel, oh you are safe safe to heal, you are safe, you are safe to feel.   

This song is a whole journey unto itself, bringing the album to a close as Paridae sings seemingly directly at you that you are safe to heal leaving you feeling like you just spent the afternoon with a dear friend supporting each other through life.