Now the rain has come again/I’d forgotten of it since/Now the rain is pouring in/Can’t escape, it’s everything
Michelle Zheng’s musical project Lunar Noon shimmers with cosmic urgency in their January single “The Rain.” This three-minute track is couched in bone-chilling harmonies, Zheng’s voice circling around itself over a deliciously menacing bass played by Rodrigo Villa. “The Rain” occupies an almost spiritual sonic zone, bringing to mind projects like YAIMA that draw from folklore and the choral meditation. It’s music you can taste down to the roots of your teeth, both alluring and unsettling — and expertly produced so that the instruments and harmonies bounce from ear to ear, melding together into a nearly visual soundscape.
How did you get in here?/How did you get in here?
Lunar Noon wastes no time in drawing the listener in with a dark, holy sound. The first thirty seconds of the track consist of a moody, mystic pad that somehow sounds like the night sky; picture that sweeping, still darkness and the pricks of light jumping through, and you’ll get an idea of what the song feels like. The pad builds, swelling until Zheng’s voice drops in with the song’s opening lyrics: “Now the rain has come again.” Zheng’s vocals demonstrate an ease and expertise that can only come from countless hours of training. The harmonies weave together like hypnotized snakes, rising over the soundscape with rippling scales and teeth bared.
Everything you’ve done today/Comes to you another day
The lyrics in the song are surprisingly concise, capping at only eight lines in total. The lyrics focus on the re-arrival of rain, embodying the shock and hope that comes with the unusual weather. The punchy melodica and Celtic harp employed throughout the song almost seem to mimic the dancing of the raindrops. By the third line, the tone of the song becomes cautiously celebratory as Zheng croons to the rain over an upbeat tempo, demanding to know how the rain found her. The vocals draw back, then, to make room for an instrumental break where we hear the piano, melodica, Celtic harp, and drums work together to create a dance-worthy montage. The vocals return with a message that advises the listener to do well by others, saying “Everything you’ve done today comes to you another day.”
“The Rain” is a glimpse at a full project titled Symbolic Creature.. Michelle Zeng says on the Lunar Noon website that the album will circle themes of superstition, with songs “about everything from ancient trees to family cake recipes to the new Californian fire season.” If “The Rain” is anything to go by, then you can expect nothing less than brilliance from Symbolic Creature.
