Never Were the Way She Was

by Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld

Never Were the Way She Was cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 28 April 2015
  • Label: Constellation
  • Country: Canada
  • Length: 42:51
  • Community rating: 4.19/5 from 13 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Recorded live without overdubs or loops, 'Never Were the Way She Was' captures the raw, physical interplay between Colin Stetson's array of saxophones and Sarah Neufeld's violin and voice. [2, 3, 6, 8] The compositions merge avant-garde and minimalist sensibilities, with Stetson's circular breathing and percussive techniques forming a rhythmic core for Neufeld's lyrical, soaring melodies. [4, 5, 8] This approach creates a diverse and cinematic soundscape that feels both urgent and intricately detailed, earning the collaboration a Juno Award for its unique instrumental vision. [2]

Genres

Descriptors: experimental, minimal, instrumental, long-form, virtuosic, strings, chamber, droning

Tracklist

  1. The Sun Roars Into View (07:37)
  2. Won't Be a Thing to Become (03:24)
  3. In the Vespers (06:01)
  4. And Still They Move (02:56)
  5. With the Dark Hug of Time (06:33)
  6. The Rest of Us (06:30)
  7. Never Were the Way She Was (08:12)
  8. Flight (01:38)

Credits

  • Colin Stetson - tenor saxophone, bass saxophone, contrabass clarinet
  • Sarah Neufeld - violin, voice
  • Hans Bernhard - engineering
  • Mark Lawson - mixing
  • Harris Newman - mastering
  • Kim Meinelt - photography
  • Scott Irvine - photography

More from Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld: full discography