Best of 2020 • Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus • Songs of Yearning

Songs of Yearning is the fourth RAIJ album and perhaps their most coherent single body of work to date. An enticing combination of eastern religious sounds and iconography, acoustic and electric instrumentation, and lilting, meditative vocals, Songs of Yearning features pieces in no fewer than six different languages: Greek, French, English, Latin, a Finnish dialect of Swedish, and Russian. 

the revolutionary army of the infant jesus • songs of yearning • 2020

Their music is unusual, ambitious and mesmerising. Influenced by the culture of Mainland - and especially Eastern - Europe. Their emotionally-charged soundscapes combine ethereal vocals, ambient compositions, chants, acoustic instrumentation and field recordings, the effect of which is often haunting, beautiful and emotionally intense. Live, their identity is often shrouded behind screens, veils and enigmatic imagery.