Cologne-based composer and saxophonist Luise Volkmann presents The Stories We Tell with her ensemble Été Large, a project that thrives on eclectic instrumentation and narrative depth. Across the album, a variety of orchestration, vocals, and rhythms intertwine to create songs that move fluidly between introspective avant-garde folk and vibrant, textural experimentation. Contributions from vocalists Casey Moir and Laurin Oppermann, flautists Conni Trieder and Nicolas Schwabe, and drummer Max Santner, among others, add distinctive textures and dynamic interplay that enrich Volkmann’s meticulously crafted arrangements.
Opening the album, “Among Oaks” unveils a state of nature-watching introspection, as the vocals describe “sitting here half the day” and watching “how the shadows of the old oak grow longer.” A hypnotic drive follows, weaving wordless vocal tranquility and steady rhythms, and then into plucky guitars and caressing vocal harmonies. Flute, brass, and orchestral elements linger enjoyably throughout, as the vocals contemplate with poetic intrigue “what will happen when they catch me…” — whether it’s revenge, forgiveness, or an acceptance into “their ranks.” The organic instrumentation, flourishing vocals, and artful lyricism resemble a surrendering of sorts to nature, or at least an appreciation of it, whilst one contextualizes their existence in the shadow of an oak tree.
The title track then arises with chilling, clanging ardency — then falling into an orchestral frolicking, as the vocals return to yet another state of contemplation: “I’ve been thinking, pondering lately.” Both vibrant woodwinds and bellowing brass coexist blissfully, while the lyricism references invisible threads connecting people, nature, and time. “Some threads are age-old / Pulling at choices / Pulling at the fiber of who we are,” a theatrical vocal solemnity unfurls into descending trumpet tones; it makes for another rousing success, and certainly kickstarts the album with a very strong one-two punch.
An abundance of highlights continue from there, also in the album’s longest track, the epic “Opus Fundgut.” A dizzying, textured immediacy arrives via orchestral swells, moving sporadically between gentle folk intrigue and expanding unveilings of vocals that range from haunting to soothing. Trickling acoustics complement a gentler vocal reprieve, while scribble-like effects complement the effervescent pushes. Multiple additions, from brass-y brightness to final-minute rhythmic vigor, prove rousingly replay-inducing. It showcases the project’s ability to coexist seamlessly within free-flowing experimentation, in addition to more ethereal, grounded charmers like “Among Oaks.” Three-parter “Oper der Trampelpfade” is also demonstrative of the project’s dynamic reach, from the second section’s bustling vibrancy to the finale’s haunting foreboding.
Another standout comes via “Sweet Song,” resembling an ode to nature and its vibrant, eclectic beauty. Its music video captures as such too, depicting wildlife, lakes, and woodside pathways. An initial gentleness flows, as soothing brass heightens into an emotional vocal harmoniousness. The vocals and instrumentation reflect with powerful vigor as aspirations “to write a sweet song” to nature — both its simplicities and complexities — appear. A cathartic burst of orchestration arrives around mid-point, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. The Stories We Tell is a gripping success from Luise Volkmann & Été Large, a deeply immersive listening experience full of quality musicianship and engaging soundscapes.
