The band's 9th album, Deux Anges, has received a lovely review from the UK's legendary music zine, The Sound Projector.
Written by editor Ed Pinsent, published April 3, and headlined "Hark The Herald", an excerpt follows.
Honored and grateful for the very kind words, Michael is particularly thankful for the review's focus on Summer herself and the project's dedication to be of, for and about her.
"The new double-CD album from Bipolar Explorer is 'Deux Anges' (SLUGG RECORDS Slugg024CD). We heard from this NYC group in 2019 with their album 'Til Morning is Nigh: A Dream Of Christmas', which was unusual for its selection of obscure and little-known Christmas songs and carols from history, sung in both English and French.
The group continue to deliver their unique brand of very understated guitar-pop with subdued vocals, hazy ambient melodies, and the singing voice of Michael Serafin-Wells kept deliberately quite low in the mix. Sylvia Solanas is here again, supplying spoken (or rather whispered) word vocals. But the (absent) main member of the band is Summer Serafin. This was Michael’s partner who died nine years ago, and since then it’s been Michael’s mission to keep the project (and her memory) alive, mainly by drawing on his personal archive of recordings of Summer’s vocal tracks.
This particular release is bolstered by the inclusion of a book full of monochrome photos – lonely forests, ruined buildings, empty seascapes – and all the lyrics. Some instrumentals, some tunes enhanced with field recordings, some more like recits - all of 'Deux Anges' is steeped in a very wistful melancholy, a poignant longing. We continue to find allusions in the lyrics to the afterlife, heaven, angels, mortality, ghosts, miracles…and compassion, empathy, and hope.
At two CDs and three hours, there’s also a lot of it to listen to, but BPX never outstay their welcome with their unassuming tone and the gentle lulling pull of their mesmerizing songs.
Michael’s lyrics emerge as a form of prayer, personal and humble in tone; while Sylvia’s no-nonsense voicing of the spoken word (narrative poem) recits feel like sermons, delivered in a concise and crystal-clear manner.
I also like that the record is not “over-produced”, that Serafin-Wells adheres to the true indie spirit of live recording, keeping in the rough edges, using the first take, and then moving on."
The Sound Projector (UK) -Ed Pinsent, editor