Love Spirals Downwards’ sophomore album, Ardor (1994), builds upon the ethereal foundation of Idylls (1992) while embracing new creative dimensions. Vocalist, Suzanne Perry, and instrumentalist, Ryan Lum, expand their sonic and emotional range, blending ambient textures, collaborative experimentation, and evocative lyrics. With its meditative soundscapes and deeply personal undertones, Ardor captures the band’s evolution, balancing abstraction with intimacy and continuing their exploration of mystical and transcultural influences.
Inspirations & Influences: Expanding the Palette
While Idylls drew heavily from medieval poetry and Indian classical traditions, Ardor reflects a broader set of artistic and musical inspirations. Lum’s admiration for bands like Slowdive and Seefeel shaped the album’s ambient textures and experimental production techniques. Lum noted in 1995:
“I’ve been very into Seefeel. I think what they’ve done with loops will be influencing people for many years to come. Some songs on Ardor were probably influenced by them.”
This influence is most evident in tracks like “Sunset Bell,” where layered vocal loops create a meditative, instrumental-like quality. At the same time, Lum’s continued fascination with Indian classical music shaped the album’s transcendent atmosphere, particularly in pieces like “Avincenna” and “Kykeon.”
Lum described his first experience of an Indian sitar and tabla performance as transformative:
“It was impossible to be there and not have your consciousness taken on a journey by the power of the music.”
This appreciation for music’s spiritual potential informs Ardor’s hypnotic and immersive qualities, blending global traditions with the ethereal textures that defined Love Spirals Downwards.
Lyrical Themes: Personal and Poetic
A notable departure from Idylls is Perry’s increased use of discernible English lyrics on Ardor. Tracks like “Will You Fade” and “Write in Water” explore deeply personal themes of impermanence, distance, and loss, while still retaining the abstraction and mystery that characterize her vocal style.
The title “Write in Water” references John Keats’ epitaph—“Here lies One Whose Name was writ in Water”—and evokes themes of transience and self-reflection. Perry’s intuitive approach to songwriting imbues the track with emotional depth. She explained in The Ninth Wave Spring/Summer 1995:
“The song “Write In Water” has so many different subconscious levels, and I spent so little time planning it. I never realized all the images it evokes.”
“Avincenna,” named after the Persian philosopher Avicenna, incorporates lines inspired by Psalm 119:
“Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I will keep it to the end.”
The song transforms these ancient words into a meditative, prayer-like piece, echoing Lum’s fascination with devotional traditions. Similarly, “Kykeon”—a reference to an ancient Greek sacramental drink—draws inspiration from Kahlil Gibran’s On Crime and Punishment:
“Unbidden shall it call in the night, that men may wake and gaze upon themselves.”
These literary and philosophical allusions highlight the band’s continued interest in exploring themes of spirituality and human consciousness, weaving them seamlessly into Ardor’s lush dreamscapes.
Collaborative Creativity and Experimentation
One of the most striking features of Ardor is its collaborative spirit, which expands the album’s emotional and sonic depth. “Depression Glass,” a haunting duet with guest vocalist, Jennifer Ryan Fuller, stands as a rare shared vocal moment for the band. Fuller adapted her original poem Dream of Love for the song’s lyrics, which complement Perry’s ethereal delivery with poignant verses steeped in longing and fragility. Fuller reflected:
“Suzanne and I created the vocals, and I adapted a poem I wrote for the lyrics.”
The interplay between Perry’s and Fuller’s voices adds a new dimension to Ardor’s emotional resonance, while Lum’s delicate production elevates the piece to a deeply moving meditation on love and vulnerability.
Fuller also contributed to “Sunset Bell,” a track born out of improvisation. She recalled in a blog post:
“I was just fooling around with the microphone and the looper, and all of a sudden I noticed Ryan was recording. ‘What are you doing?’ I asked. ‘Just keep going,’ he whispered.”
The resulting track highlights Lum’s experimental ethos. In a 1994 Fond Affexxions interview, he described it as:
“Technically not an instrumental, but I think of it as one because the vocals are just these big loops that sound like instruments.”
This innovative layering of vocals without traditional lyrics or melody gives “Sunset Bell” a meditative, almost hypnotic quality that mirrors the looping structures of Indian classical ragas.
Experimental Techniques & Sonic Manipulation
Lum’s talent for reinterpretation and sonic experimentation shines throughout Ardor. On “Sidhe,” Lum took Perry’s vocals from their cover of Black Tape for a Blue Girl’s “Tear Love From My Mind” (also included on Ardor) and played the backward, creating an eerie, otherworldly atmosphere that blurs the line between voice and instrument.
The duo recorded two addition covers for a Black Tape for a Blue Girl compilation released this same year. In their 1994 Fond Affexxions interview Perry described the experience as liberating:
“We labor over our songs so much… to have everything already made—no lyrics to write, no vocal parts to make up—it was like cake! It was all the fun parts of making music.”
This sense of playful exploration permeates Ardor, even in its more polished moments, ensuring the album feels both deliberate and spontaneous.
Balancing Abstraction and Emotion
Despite its expanded lyrical and sonic palette, Ardor retains the dreamlike abstraction that defines Love Spirals Downwards. Perry’s vocals, whether delivering discernible lyrics or improvising glossolalia, remain central to the album’s ethereal quality. Perry reflected on this balance:
“Sure, I may be using English words, but as far as putting them all together and trying to make sense of them… good luck!”
This reluctance to overexpose ensures that Ardor invites interpretation without confining listeners to a single meaning. Lum’s lush, layered compositions further enhance this sense of open-endedness, drawing listeners into a world that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant.
A Continuation of Timelessness
Ardor represents a natural progression from Idylls, deepening Love Spirals Downwards’ commitment to blending personal expression, historical and literary allusions, and transcultural influences. Tracks like “Depression Glass” and “Write in Water” show the band exploring raw emotions, while experimental pieces like “Sunset Bell” and “Sidhe” highlight their innovative spirit.
By drawing on Slowdive’s ambient textures, Indian classical music’s cyclical rhythms, and poetic traditions from across time, Ardor offers a listening experience that is both lush and introspective.
Love Spirals Downwards’ ability to evolve while maintaining their ethereal core ensures that Ardor remains as captivating and timeless as the work that preceded it. In its exploration of fragility, spirituality, and the subconscious, the album invites listeners to lose themselves in its expansive dreamscapes and discover their own emotional truths.
(article written with assistance from OpenAI)