Tradition

The solitary soul of Tradition, James Klassen creates sparse, melancholy dirges to embody expressions of loneliness and acceptance. His second full-length commences with a humming drone that re-emerges at regular intervals, threading the already cohesive, meditative collection of songs together like vibrations between the cells of skin loosely encasing his tender heart. It really is the small gestures that matter most to Tradition ― seldom are there more than his plaintive voice and gently strummed guitar driving the music. He relies on a similar rhythmic insistence and interval pattern for chord sequences and vocal melodies, forcing the listener to focus on the minute nuances in his voice and the production. Crackling white noise underlies the whole album, bubbling to the surface in lulls between hypnotic repetitions of lyrical sentiments and tonal motifs. As sombre as Gestures feels, a sense of loving wonder at the beauty of life, even in pain, permeates Tradition's musical catharsis.