May 29th, 2008
Creaking Tree String Quartet
Gather round, lovers of bare-knuckle, drag-out battles; strength of character, strength of body, and strength of will shall all be put to the test as the Creaking Tree String Quartet unleash their fiery dispositions in a string quartet battle royale entitled Phoenix Lair.
The song starts off with a heated exchange between violin and mandolin, as both steady their footing in a heated seance of back-and-forth challenging, which permeates the breakneck velocity of the entire song. The violin’s bluegrassyness vies to swashbuckle its way into guiding the frantic melody with its bending tones, but the mandolin’s precise, crystal-like notes slice through the air in a mellifluous shower of blister-finger gleaming. As the tempo shifts, the guitar intervenes gently, like a mediator, offering up its own timber as median ground, but it’s soon back to the frenzied fight, egged on by the bass’ handslapped provocations.
Then, when the song ends, and the scattered particles settle back to rest, the haze of battle clears, and the intensity of the struggle stems, there is only one true winner: the music fan! Hey-ooooh!