Search - Thomas Barquee :: Temple

For some time now it's seemed as if the realm of wordless vocal exotica has been ruled by women--what with Lisa Gerrard, Vas, Ekova, and Adiemus singing wordless hieroglyphics. But now, Thomas Barquee follows fellow German-born singer Thomas Otten in asserting a male timbre in the proceedings. Barquee merges Gregorian ambiences, synthesizer framing, and what sounds like a glossolalia of Latin and Sufi phonemes. His attractive alto voice doesn't employ esoteric techniques. There's no harmonic singing, Mongolian throat growls, or Qawaali wails. Instead, he's like a choirboy in a state of ecstasy as he arcs across his chants, articulating an inner rumination. Favoring spare and resonant synthesizer orchestrations, distant hand percussion, and the occasional touchstone of piano and acoustic guitar, he gives his music an airbrushed sheen, creating a chromium cathedral. Though occasionally edging toward sweet sentimentality, Barquee always pulls back from the saccharin precipice. --John Diliberto