The debut album from Worcester alt-folk trio berm is a masterclass in storytelling that conjures an unsettling but familiar feeling of revisiting places from the past that have been battered by time and circumstance. On highway through the trees, berm explores the crossroads between lore and legacy with eerily specific imagery and sprawling arrangements.
Released April 24, berm’s highway through the trees plays out like chapters that have been dog-eared and sunbleached with time. While the notion of time passing (and what lingers behind) is a prevalent theme in the band’s stunning debut, the flow of the album is not constrained by a staunch linear narrative. Somehow the listening experience is both cinematically expansive and reflectively insular. The listener takes on the role of an unseen compatriot, someone complicit in the story without the power to change it.
“From a songwriting perspective, my goal is always to find a sweet spot between specificity and ambiguity. I want my writing to have enough specific ideas for a listener to grasp onto and consider relative to their own experiences, but enough ambiguity that there isn’t only a single meaning or message associated with those ideas.”
— Dan Lambert
Songs like “cigarette”, “heron”, and “song for nate” demand a greater investment with a remarkable return on your attention. Whether it be in the solitude of your headphones or through your car speakers parked in a clearing at twilight, highway through the trees is best enjoyed without the static of life’s distractions.
There is a cracking richness throughout the album that is reminiscent of vintage textiles and wallpaper that struggle to remain vibrant against the scourge of time. highway through the trees is fog and dew, dirt and smoke, past and present all spread out under the weight of urgent contemplation. What might be a heron sighting or a handstitch, berm attach a meaning to every image that is transportive and engaging.
The tones and arrangements of berm are reminiscent of early Tallest Man On Earth and Trampled by Turtles which made for an oddly calming but disquieting experience (in all the right ways). On highway through the trees, berm showcases their robust storytelling skills and notable musicianship that bolster the reputation that alt-folk as the new frontier for creative exploration.
Connect with berm:
Spotify
Bandcamp
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Bio:
berm is an alt-folk band out of worcester, ma. berm is led by Dan Lambert (vocals, guitar, songwriting), with Z Harris (guitar, banjo), Gretchen Neff Lambert (keyboard), and Andy Thomas (cello).
