Real life is loving my children and my best friend who also is my wife. Real life is helping my daughter with spelling tests and watching her lose her shit when a rad Dub song comes on. Real life is waking up in the morning ready to kill all of my negative self-talk with a morning meditation session. Real life for Palestinians living in Gaza is being bombed to death in apartheid by world-sanctioned white supremacy! Sonically, real life is listening to the new Ragana LP Desolation’s Flower that is out now via The Flenser and knowing that this record has a foundation rooted in our real lives! I can’t front, the somber notes of the opening song, “Desolation’s Flower,” which are acting as a soundtrack to my inner despair caused by the pain of humanity right now! While the band penned the below lyrics as a homage to their queer and trans ancestors, these words also make me think about my ancestors and the struggle that POC are still facing today.
When hell was all around they found desolation’s flower
Unending holy bloom that cannot be denied
We hold eternity they cannot make us die
The ones who came before when hell was all around
Holy are their names who found desolation’s flower
Unending holy bloom that cannot be deniedWe hold eternity they cannot make us die
Ragana Desolation’s Flower
The ones who came before when hell was all around
They found the hidden world
They found desolation’s flower
When fog is on the ground no lantern lights the mire
I hear them call me in and to my heart’s desire
Holy are the names
Holy are the names.
Musically, Ragana can not and should not be confined to one genre! With all of their songs, several audio universes co-exist to create a sonic solar system that is vast and never-ending. Straight up, I love all the heavy parts of the album but its fragile powerful songs such as “DTA” make me say, WOW, this band is beyond awesome!!! This song slaps just as hard as Cat Power’s Moon Pix. The juxtaposition between the vocal delivery of music and lyrics is sublime!
I am a mystery, even to myself I look in the mirror see someone else if there is something deeper than bones and blood I can’t feel it I am numb Death to America and everything you’ve done I can’t feel anything I am numb Death to America and everything you’ve done I can’t feel anything I am numb
Ragana, DTA
I want the band to know that “Desolation’s Flower” will take root in my real life with each listen. In a world where everything is upside down and ass-backward. This band has created a heavy LP that is free of fantasy which is why it resonates with me so much! Before I let y’all go, their song “Pain” should be played at least 5 times a day to alleviate all eternal pain! This song is a straight jam, and I rank it up there like my favorite Pinback or Red Star Theory song!
I want to feel your pain with you I want to know what it feels like I want to stay and be with you I’m dying to know what it feels like I’m dying to know what it feels like I want to feel your pain with you I want to know what it feels like I want to stay and be with you I’m dying to know what it feels like I’m dying to know what it feels like
Ragana, Pain
