Summer/Autumnal Melancholy
by SVR
Based in Ostrava, Czechia, SVR describe their music as “Signalwave”. Not extremely familiar with the term or style, I decided to go into SVR’s releases with an open mind. I found quite a sentimental, pensive quality within Summer Melancholy and Autumnal Melancholy. I found myself surrounded by a pleasant, moody listening experience. If you, the reader, aren’t quite grasping or visualizing the concept, I’ll give you an example.
Picture stumbling across an 8mm or VHS tape containing footage of a bygone era that instantly evokes sadness or pathos as you watch it. Family members that you haven’t seen since you were a child. Friendships that have faded as the years went on. Pets that are no longer with you. Your youth in a time where things may have been better. Perhaps not. In any case you look back and a sea of emotions washes over you to an overwhelming degree.
All of these sentiments came to mind as I listened to such wonderfully crafted works like “Midnight”, “Sunshine”, “Peace”, “Pills”, and “Indoors” from Summer Melancholy, which the composer describes as “newly found emotions within the forgotten film score of the house of caradus. On the sequel, Autumnal Melancholy, which is described as “the sequel no one asked for”, you’ll find that the overall mood is just a tad darker and just a bit less bright in its tonal quality than its predecessor. Tracks such as “Far”, “Crisis”,“Roses”, “Alone”, and “Solstice” (which brilliantly incorporates vestiges from the Love Story (1970) theme, ‘Where Do I Begin?”) perfectly sum up the gloomy atmosphere; it’s as if the person in question wallows in bitterness while looking back at better times that will never make their way to the present tense.
The sound quality is intentionally (slightly) grainy and very, very faintly wavering in pitch throughout the albums, which perfectly captures the elements of a time where technology was more primitive but where memories were just as strongly and vividly cherished. I enjoyed the non-slick production very much. It felt authentic.
SVR’s releases Summer Melancholy and Autumnal Melancholy are not the kind of releases that you’ll want to listen to at the gym, while on your break on the job, or during an adventurous road trip with friends, family, or your significant other. However, I highly recommend checking these albums out with your headphones on while settling down or taking a solitary walk through the park while mentally taking a journey down memory lane.
