August 22, 2019 - Self-released
I had never heard of David Berman or the Silver Jews until Swedish folk sister duo First Aid Kit released ‘Strange Beauty’ and their cover of ‘Random Rules.’ But swimming in the rawness of their terror at Berman’s sudden passing in August 2019, I’m reminded that the fear never leaves the artists. Paid to be attuned to the conversation that takes place in the undercurrent of our day-to-day lives, they charge vulnerable and naked forward, dragging us all along with them, reluctantly behind. Terrified, but braver than the rest of us.
The two singles were released casually and relatively quickly after the announcement of Berman’s death. They are intimate and pared down, only the two singers and one guitar pulling you by both hands into the room with them. And joining them for those moments is a perfect recorded expression of grief as is. No copious amounts of recording studio meticulousness or full orchestral support could make it any more powerful. This is captured spontaneity, and it demonstrates what we forget when we fiddle with grids on a screen and trying to figure out why the results fall flat. Fifty years from now, these songs will break our hearts anew as they did the first day we heard them.
This release is not about David Berman. It’s about Klara and Johanna Söderberg. When someone leaves the Earth, like the cover of a favorite song their voice may change, but they remain forever in the conversation. ☔