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The New Silence

by The New Silence

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1.
Sun rise high, might it rescue me might it save now and forgive me all I've done drive me out of this space forever Sun go down leave me powerless and poor I've my doubts that I'll ever find that door I'll be lost right here forever Find the light to change what's over, give them peace and send me home forever Find the light to make us one and bring them peace for all of them the guardians of the alone go with grace Sun come up bring me out of all these dreams give me love, bring me back the clearest streams let me leave that way forever Sunlight spread let them see all of my scars drive me down but we're never going far and I'll be left right here forever Find the light to change what's over, give them peace and send me home forever Find the light to make us one and give them peace to all of us the guardians of the alone, go with grace.
2.
Purity 03:05
I try to be so pure just to love you it’s a long way down it’s a long way to the ground I try to be so pure up above you it’s a way to breathe and it’s a prayer for you and me In your fine black veil and your lace now it’s a long drop down to the water, to the sea so try to give me all that is new now give me bread to break and give me all your purity I’ve been waiting for the end of it all find me in ruins up against the wall I’ve been waiting for the end of this way find my little purity we’ll float away I try to be so pure just to love you it's a long way around it's a long way underground and if I'll be so pure up above you it's a way to see and it's a love for you and me I’ve been waiting for the end of it all find me in ruins up against the wall I’ve been waiting for the end of this way find my little purity we’ll float away Keep me quiet for a long long time in the dark part of town where I know you’re mine never will they find me never will they find me here I'll keep quiet for a long long time in the dark part of town where I know you're mine. never will they find me never will they find me here.
3.
When you were so fragile and new mama paint your room a midnight blue silver stars on the ceiling for light might the new moon guide you at night might the new moon guide you at night And there I lay with a little one's skin kept sutured all the wishes within worshipped gods that never would I see I can kneel but I’ll never be free I can kneel but I’ll never be freed From then to now, a broken trail seen a trashed road and their eyes still from me lifeless side with my sisters I'll ride through the cities, a new silence inside through the cities, a new silence, we ride You and me in a backseat so dark rivers washed by the cry of the lark we dug daily just to find all our heart midnight blue will forever be ours midnight blue will forever be ours Have mercy on me, have mercy on me have mercy on me have mercy on me wash the violence from my hands have mercy, have mercy on me wash the violence from my skin to the sea have mercy, have mercy on me.
4.
This Bridge 03:40
This bridge is lit seen from miles away big weight blank form wants love wants more more. This bridge is quiet no peace inside Store bags half way to home to home home. When the lights go down When the lights go down Then I’ll find you there Then I’ll find you there.
5.
Star People 03:18
Star people will they rise, will they rise once more? star people will they rise, will they rise once more? I'm alone, I'm alive, I'm alone, sun will rise, I'll be here on my own Star people will they hide, will they hide once more? star people can I hide there behind your door? here in pride, hide in shame, here in pride, lost my love, silently by my side All the broken names did they find their ways shine the lines of graves never let them fade from me. Holy rain up high into stars we ride we'll walk clean beside all their little eyes don't you look away from me.
6.
Carry me past canyons cross the white walls beds in place, they run away carry you from cribs to grass to lay your body down where have you played? gather up the anchors just to wash them hung and dried for what you’ve made firelight to hold you tight and shift your channels forth into the gray Send me starry silence it’s a rainy roll to ride on silver wings will you be a bird for them? will you be a bird and when? learn to love from all you’ve changed every way now to run you homeward where you’ll stay.
7.
Deliverance 03:46
Deliver me keep me packed up and pretty for you deliver me bring me back now forever anew deliver me to the soft trees up and down the rows kept perfect lie me there and I’ll be waiting for you Deliver me and release me mother father be brave deliver me lay beneath me all the love that you saved deliver me on my weak knees ashes to the lost breeze give me no gods I don't want them anymore Deliverance I’ll be setting free forever Deliverance throw these ashes to the river Deliverance will they liberate me Deliverance will they pray now for me pray now for me pray now for me? Deliver me sew my mind shut to never be seen deliver me and show the pictures that they keep from the screen deliver me handle with care my heart in a box and wrap me tight and I’ll be suited up and tidy for you And if I’m gone make me into what you want me to be a symbol song break my body and you’ll fade it from me now keep me close keep me memory all cradled until I’ll be alive and around where do you want me to be? Deliverance I’ll be setting free forever Deliverance throw these ashes to the river Deliverance will they liberate me Deliverance will they pray now for me pray now for me pray now for me? You will never be alone again promise you that, promise you that I will never be alone again promise me that, promise me that You will never be alone again promise you that, promise you that I will never be alone again promise me that, promise me that promise me that, promise me that promise me that, promise me that promise me that, promise me that.
8.
You’ve got a long way to come through these walls, but I won’t cause you any harm don’t you believe what you’ve heard, let them fall and I won’t bring you any harm give me my friend something sacred to hold, cause I’ll never give you no harm peace for to fight with and flame when it’s cold I’ll keep you safe, and I’ll never bring home the harm I’ve got a face made from silver and stone but I’ll never bring you no harm Make us to one now and never alone you’ll never see any harm come now, I’ll cradle you, make you all mine I’ll never hold you in harm held in this silence, can I make you mine I’ll keep you warm and I’ll never send you the harm. Every room empty and every heart bare make me all over again all of my sisters might meet me down there make all over for them We were all children once forward to fear and I held my hands to the harm we could run carefully, hide 'neath the trees, but I’d never hurt you, no harm find me back there in the shade and the green running away from the harm captured in beauty you radiant one I’d hold you close and I’d never bring you the harm Every room empty and every heart bare make me all over again all of my sisters might meet me down there make all over for them I cannot cry now but I can be with you in silence and sleep in this peace I cannot face you but I can be near you in silence and fortune and grace. Every room empty and every heart bare make me all over again all of my sisters might meet me down there make all over again make me all over for them make me all over and then.
9.
Resolution 04:50
We we shall not fear and I’ll resolve to save you vanished, huddled here, you you guard this love so take these ashes store them safely up above up above Fade the skies we’ve seen until this resolution breaks and I’ll come clean, find in days of new there is a quiet world that we can wade into into Now and for the first time I’ll resolve to never take this love for granted any longer and I know that when the lights fade low then we’ll clear the windows lock the doors in isolation find our resolution From dusk til dawn I’ll watch the water wear the stones and then be gone, sleep the finest blue and I’ll wait quietly and cradle this for you Mourn the little loves I can’t do anything but try to get enough, give repeat these days under the roof high sun I’ll meet you in the haze Now and for the last time I’ll resolve to never take this love for granted any longer and I know that when the lights fade low then we’ll clear the windows lock the doors in isolation find our resolution.
10.
When they’d lay me down they’d give their words to me I’d climb into their rooms in their cradle be and when the dark night fell and the breath was slow they’d send me off to dream where the wild winds blow There a little light was about to go out what will I find? what will there be all for me a little light was about to go out, turn it down low, and I’ll let you follow me there. When you’d lay with me our bodies burned bright you’d shovel embers round in our frightened eyes and when the dark night fell and the breath was hot you’d send us off to dream we’d find all we’d sought. But a little light was about to go out what did we find? what was there left for you, a little light that could never go out? Turn it down low and I’ll let you follow me there. Now they find me gone vacant, homeless eyes I’d climb into their rooms in their cradle lie I don’t want to rise I don’t want to cry and I don’t want to see you, my love I’ll give up this fight. I’m a little light now about to go out what did I find? they left me here to be a little light now about to go out turn me down low and I’ll let you follow me down.
11.
Finally 02:25
Tuck me in into sleep and away where i’ll keep me a clown me a prince they surround ever since a little picture where i’m never alone aren’t we? a little everywhere you never will see finally. and they be with me with me endlessly climb the trees green the waves far away everyday a little picture where im never alone aren’t you a little everywhere the skies are all blue, finally. this all was made for me this all was made for me this all was made for me everything you see. lay me down up, away leave my ship for today sail the sand climb a cliff never won set adrift a little picture where i’m always alone always be a little everywhere you’ll never believe finally.
12.

about

"The New Silence" is a collection of songs inspired by tales of traumatic experience and its aftermath. Largely influenced by stories of veterans of the post-9/11 wars, the songwriting looks at the question of what happens when the spotlight on traumatic experiences fades and the individual who endured the trauma lives with the mental wounds. For more on the story, here is a video about the project:

vimeo.com/163188500.

Directed/filmed by Tafadzwag Chiriga (www.tafchiriga.com) with assistance from Tom Cryan.

About payment:

This is a not-for-profit recording project. The songs were largely inspired by interviews I conducted and by stories that were put in the public realm, including StoryCorps recordings, newspaper articles and a variety of oral histories I found online.

If you have the means, I encourage you to buy the record. I am charging for the music with the hope of recouping at least some of what I spent to make the project. While the record was produced entirely by me (mostly in my apartment) and the overall budget was comparatively low for a full-length LP, days of studio time, mixing, mastering, cover art, etc. all added up to pretty large costs. Making back some of the money will enable me to continue recording more music!

If I can cover the costs of my own financial investment in the project, my second step will be to give some additional compensation to some of the musicians I worked with - all of whom were paid, though some only received stipends, not what I'd consider fair payments for the work they did.

If all of the above can be covered, any money will be donated to charities serving veterans and survivors of trauma.

Also, I offer immense gratitude to the Puffin Foundation for providing a grant for me to cover some of the project's expenses, and to Wildacres of North Carolina for hosting me for a 2 week residency in August 2015 during which I recorded, mixed and wrote in the beautiful solitude of western North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest.

With love,

Alec

credits

released September 15, 2016

Musicians:

Alec Betterley - Upright and grand pianos, AKAI MPC, Fender Rhodes, Nord electro 2, electric guitar, acoustic guitar & other things.
Caitlin Claessens - Vocals (11)
David Dawda - Electric bass (1, 2, 5, 12)
Noa Fort - Vocal harmonies (4, 11)
Ari Friedman - Pedal steel (10), Electric guitar (2, 4)
Megan Keely - Vocals (1)
Sarah Lee - Vocals (3)
Allan Mednard - Drums (9, 12)
Gabriela Pelosi - Vocals (6, 12)
Tess Power - Drums (1, 5, 8)
Michael Riddleberger - Drums (2, 6, 7, 11)
Colin Summers - Electric guitar layering (5, 6, 12)
Shu Wang - Violin (5, 7, 8, 10, 12), Vocals (4, 11)

All songs written by Alec Betterley © 2016 BMI #550278448.

Produced and mixed by Alec Betterley with ears/assistance of Luke Hemingway Duffy, Colin Summers & Danielle Warman.

Recorded in Alec's apartments and pals' apartments in Brooklyn, NY

&:

Drums (6, 11) and vocals (7, 8, 10) recorded by Danielle Warman at Chiller Sound, New York, NY - chillersound.com

Grand piano (1, 5, 8, 10) recorded by Rohzan Razman at RiRo Muzik, Brooklyn, NY - riromuzikstudio.com

Drums (1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12) recorded by Joe Rogers at Room 17 Brooklyn, NY - room17studio.com

Childhood upright recorded at Mom and Dad’s in Delmar, NY (7, 10, 13)

Artwork by Gregory Hedderman: www.instagram.com/gregoryhedderman/.

Mastered by Josh Bonati: bonatimastering.com.

For related projects and releases, please visit:
alecbetterley.bandcamp.com
myfriendother.bandcamp.com
toysandtinyinstruments.bandcamp.com

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The New Silence Brooklyn, New York

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