Soaring trumpets, crunching rock guitars, and dramatic strings are amongst the powerful forces on “Beau Travail,” a stirring new track from Peaceful Faces. The Brooklyn-based six-piece was initially the solo project of Tree Palmedo, since expanding to six members alongside Palmedo’s songwriting, vocals, and multi-instrumental talents.
“Beau Travail” begins with a brooding assortment of haunting vocals and finger-picked guitars. The wordless vocal touch sends chills prior to a more rock-ready rhythm section and guitar presence. Addition of strings aligns with a chillier vocal disposition, with this descent into eerie, melancholic tidings further emphasizing the project’s ability for creatively striking shifts. Brassy additions thereafter add further to the momentum, with a final folk-to-rock expanse resonating into the riveting finale.
Palmedo elaborates on the track:
“This is a song off our new album that’s been in the works for years. It began while I was still in school, and was a response to the pressure I was feeling to work hard, sometimes without any reflection on why I was working. The song explores our society’s emphasis on travails and tribulations without reflection on what all this work is really for, and the way breaking ourselves down to fit into society’s boxes can cause things to stop making sense.”
“Beau Travail” comes via the stellar new album Sifting Through the Goo, Reaching for the Candlelight:
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of March 2023’ Spotify playlist.
