Zachary Cale :: Love's Work
Born in Covington, Louisiana, Zachary Cale, a Brooklyn, New York-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, first came into poetic prominence with the release of his third studio album, “Noise of Welcome.” Quickly followed by 2013’s “Blue Rider,” only a few years later, during a much different time and place in music-making culture, Cale has since found his fundamental footing in the ecosystem of songwriting excellence and melodic maturity. While the world may seem unrecognizable, music has always remained a concrete creation exchanged from one soul to another over the centuries as we continue to find new and exciting ways to connect to the world and the people that inhabit it. It’s a safe observation that several songwriters take the liberating leap into an instrumental album at some point in their career, if not several, which ultimately unites the content with a cinematic convoy into the heart of the individual’s intimate intersection into something much more spiritual than what a lyrical song can sometimes capture. That’s exactly the case with Cale’s instrumental debut, “Love’s Work,” as the horizon meets the stellar seams of space in the most gracious way possible. Bridging the ghostly gap between melody and mourning, the album’s ability to captivate, while simultaneously conjuring the essence of emotion, is truly stunning as Cale takes his listeners through the harmonious hallways of past, present, and future visions of life after loss. The Guitar Soli genre typically leans into the esoteric environments of ritualism and poetic perfection. Cale suddenly found his voice silent, while allowing the instrument to speak for him as this vibrating vessel of tonal truth, and meditative melody reflecting the intensity of conflicting change.
“Making an instrumental album is something I always wanted to try, and although it’s not rare for me to play a solo guitar piece in a live setting or on record, I never fully embraced doing a whole record of wordless guitar music.”
Photo: Matthew Placek
From one end of the vibrant valley to the sprawling soundscapes of the biblical bardo, “Love’s Work” effortlessly cuts through the mist of mortality with atmospheric accuracy. Speaking in a lush language that stirs the ethereal energies found in the emptiness of life’s tragedies, Cale sends a metaphysical message straight to the cosmic center with sonic seduction and intimate insight. While laying out the blueprints for the album, the veteran musician’s father had suddenly passed, which not only tore through the tender tissue of Cale’s heart but also shifted the album’s direction altogether. “My father passed away suddenly when I was just starting to formulate the ideas for the record. With all the conflicting feelings that ensued, I spent the following months meditating with my guitar. Still processing the family loss, it was pretty clear that it wasn’t the time for writing lyrics, and that leaning into the guitar was the natural path. So in a sense, the album is a nod to him,” says Cale. With tracks like “All Roads Lead Back to You,” “The Poplars Sway in the Valley,” and “Fixing a Fire on Hope Island” helping to harmoniously heal the weighted wounds of losing a loved one, Cale has achieved one of the most difficult aspects of mourning by investing in the ecosystem of expression and carefully channeling his experience directly into his craft. Recorded at Figure 8 Recording between the fall of 2022 and the spring of 2023, “Love’s Work” takes listeners through the vibrant valleys of tonal texture and straight towards the oblivion of orchestral ambiance just as his pioneering peers had done in the previous decades, the albu is set for release in early October on Cale’s own imprint, All Hands Electric, and the world couldn’t be more ready for its healing properties.
