Nigredo

I guess what I love most about this album is how the delicate, yet passionate progressive folk is punctuated by short spoken-word poetry bits. It makes one feel as if one is at an intimate live performance in some out-of-the-way salon / bar / coffee shop, just Kalugin and a small group of friends. This album consists of four poetic recitations and five musical pieces, and throughout one is aware of the fire always simmering, intensified into moments of blazing most often with the addition of distant, mystical female voices. Without understanding Russian the listener can enjoy this ever-changing fire. With the lyrics, new worlds of mythic and religious imagery open up.