The Silence of Love is a beautiful themed album of covers, dream't up by a chap named Eddie Bezalel, helped and produced by Hugo Nicolson, who pulled together the songs and a bunch of great musicians (Josh Klinghoffer, Woody Jackson, Joey Waronker, Leo Abrahams & Gus Seyffert) to play on it, all topped off with the voice of one Alela Diane. A simply beautiful collection of lost classics and unearthed gems sung with arresting clarity by Nevada City's emerging new folk star Alela.
The motivation for making the Headless Heroes project was really music for music's sake, a record to be accepted and enjoyed on its own terms, without being an overindulgent or boastful statement. Says Bezalel, “I just wanted to make an album with great musicians and great songs... the rest would work itself out.†Inspired initially on hearing Terry Durhams "Crystal Telephone" in a local record store.. Bezalel got Nicolson on board who sifted through his record collection and started to put the musicians together, while Bezalel looked and found Alela on Myspace, and upon hearing her voice, instantly knew she was the one to carry the tunes.
Alela, who first released her own debut album, Pirates Gospel in 2006 – (Rough Trade Album of The Year 2007) was really excited about using her voice in new ways, as well as the project not being based around her own material. “It was quite liberating to just sing! And not worry about it being my record, or it being different from the type of music that I’m used to making. Describing The Silence of Love as pure fun, she notes “I was able to use all different parts of my voice, from what I do in my own songs, to what I learned while singing in the school choir.†Man at the controls Hugo Nicolson, “Alela’s silky voice and Josh Klinghoffer maxed out their abundant talent on this album, along with Woody’s virtuosity, and created what was for me an amazing record to make and a pleasure to be a part ofâ€.
All bittersweet and of love and loss …the songs chosen by Nicolson & Bezalel (with a few thrown in by David Holmes) span over 40 years of time .. from Daniel Johnston, The Jesus & Mary Chain and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds back to Vashti Bunyan, Linda Perhacs and The Gentle Soul..
For some, this will be a process of discovery or rediscovery of songs that may otherwise have been lost in time, inspiring deeper delvings back to the original sources. The Headless Heroes interpretations, however, are gloriously fresh creations in themselves.
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