Caroline Keys’s “Les Grillons (Labor with Enthusiasm)” is an original and uniquely satisfying contribution to Ball of Wax 34. It opens with some sort of found sound layer (a church sermon? a political rally?) then quickly introduces a mandolin playing arpeggios and a pretty one-handed piano melody. Other than the smatterings of found sound (I’m pretty sure it’s a gospel church service), there are no vocals, no lyrics, no narrative. Random sounds drift in and out, some percussive, others washes of soft pink noise but the mandolin and piano loop patiently through their figures without changing. Keys pulls off the oft-bungled “A” song structure with her hypnotic, vamping set piece – no chorus, no bridge, no coda. It’s a beauty and a welcome zag from all the songier zigging on volume 34.
Keys is another Ball of Wax veteran, with contributions to Volumes 27 and 32, among others. She also plays in a band called Stellarondo and she recently received the LEAW Family Foundation Fellowship for Montana Artists at Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.