Scions – To Cry Out In The Wilderness Album Review

In our recent interview with Scions, the nine-piece Canadian ensemble shared how To Cry Out In The Wilderness emerged from a fierce love for music, collaboration, and a deep-seated connection to the earth. Led by Michael Cloud Duguay and Cormac Culkeen, Scions brings together a lineup that’s as eclectic as their sound: strings, electronics, guitar, saxophones, harp, and even accordion mesh in unexpected harmony, crafting music that defies genre labels as much as it redefines them.

Recorded in a solar-powered studio set up in Halifax’s historic St. George’s Round Church, To Cry Out In The Wilderness feels as grand as the space it was made in. This is a journey textured with the kind of depth and intricacy that makes you feel like you’re wandering through a sonic landscape that shifts with every note. And, as we discovered in our chat with Culkeen and Duguay, the magic of this project lies in their commitment to raw honesty, letting the music “breathe like whales“.

From the moment Moss Lung opens, we’re enveloped in atmospheric tones and airy vocals that feel more like whispers on the wind than conventional song structures. Each track becomes an individual world: Even When All Was Silent I Was Not Alone is imbued with a sense of spiritual release, weaving saxophone and sweeping strings to create a composition that’s both expansive and intimate. The influence of free jazz and post-rock legends is clear, yet there’s nothing derivative here; Scions has carved out a space that is entirely their own.

The journey continues with The Mountain, a swelling, cinematic piece that fuses folk elements with hypnotic, almost tribal chanting, conjuring haunting echoes of ancient musical traditions. It’s an eerie yet powerful composition that embodies Scions‘ reverence for folk roots.

The title track, To Cry Out In The Wilderness, stands as the album’s centrepiece. A nearly ten-minute, meditative journey that captures Scions‘ essence. The hum of the vocals melds seamlessly with the strings, creating a hypnotic pulse that builds gradually, layer by layer until it envelops you entirely. Spoken word passages drift in with confessions: “Listen to me, I need to tell you something. I need to confess to you how foolish I am. I still have hope for a better world. I still have hope in spite of myself. Listen. (We are listening with open hearts.) In spite of myself, I still hope to have children…” These words explore an inner conflict between fear and hope. As the song unfolds, it becomes the kind of piece you’d want to experience in a secluded forest, by a quiet lake at sunset, or under a night sky brimming with stars. It draws you into a shared space of reflection, where the rhythm feels ritualistic, and the music becomes an experience of revelation and longing.

Then there’s Fight Song, a defiant track that channels the spirit of protest into a surreal, stirring anthem for today’s battles for justice and equality. The music dances just behind the vocals, underscoring lines like, “We are not afraid” and “Why should we tremble at the blade if the axe must be disobeyed?” while a chorus rises in unison: “When we go down, we go down, we go down swinging.” These words resonate powerfully, especially in light of recent political struggles. A passage of white noise disrupts the rhythm like a television struggling to find a signal. Perhaps a metaphor for voices trying to break through and be heard.

The album then leans toward resolution with Equals In Hope and Over, each stacking warmth, balance, and a quiet strength. It’s protest music with purpose but stripped of the constraints of a typical anthem.

With To Cry Out In The Wilderness, Scions offers an album that transcends traditional boundaries, inviting us to join them in a space where preconceptions fall away. This is music that calls for your full attention and presence, guiding you through levels of the human experience with each track. Those who accept its invitation will find moments of insight and empathy that will stay with you long after the final note rings out.