Like Pampa, The Lonely Coast were a group I knew I needed to have on this English-free volume of Ball of Wax. Their phenomenal voices and tireless ear for old songs from all over the world make for a powerful combination indeed. They very kindly obliged with this recording of a Georgian folk song, which is, in their words, “a direct plea to the spirits of disease (bat’onebi)—pre-Christian spirits believed to have taken possession of a child suffering from illness—for their cooperation in healing a sick child.” I may well try this one myself next time my kid is sick, although my rendition of this tune would be a pale imitation of this rendition. The chirping baby robins captured in this live field recording are the perfect accompaniment to this gorgeous, haunting performance.
The Lonely Coast will do their best to class up the Ball of Wax 48 release show on June 3rd. If you’ve never seen them live before, do not miss it! (If you have, you already know not to miss it.)