The Bloodwren by Ceiling Spirits
Under the alias of Ceiling Spirits, Milwaukee-connected Mario Quadracci follows up his eponymous 2018 debut album with The Bloodwren, a suite of interrelated tales told solely in sound. The music often suggests an arthouse horror film where physical frights collide with psychological suspense—an unrelenting cascade of plot twists with mere gasps of resolution and relief.
Quadracci's synthesis of chamber and symphonic classical airs, progressive rock grandeur and affinity for the freakier side of fusion jazz is a nearly seamless amalgamation of stylistic elements that at first may seem like uncomfortable fits. Though his first album under his alter ego was more a reflection of what Quadracci was performing in live settings outside his day work as a soundtrack composer (no surprise, that), The Bloodwren would require a Trans Siberian Orchestra level of personnel to pull off in concert. Quadracci’s confluence of Stravinsky, Penderecki, Bernard Herrmann, Al Di Meola, and what all else makes for a most arresting aural adventure via earbuds or headphones.
