XLR8R - logo    • Filed under: Review   • 12/20/2012  Heathered
Pearls Loyal  Rarely does a name provide much insight into the
philosophy or sound of a musician, but for Moodgadget co-founder
Jakub Alexander's ambient work as Heathered Pearls, the moniker
seems to drill down to his project's essence. For Loyal, the
Brooklyn-via-Poland artist's debut on Ghostly International,
Heathered Pearls buries bleary melodies under layers of silt,
balancing his more abrasive inclinations with comforting
undertones. The result is not particularly easy to unearth, but
if the listener takes the time, Loyal is the rare mixture of
ambient and drone that's rewarding both aesthetically and
emotionally.  From Brian Eno's Music for Airports to Kompakt's
Pop Ambient series, ambient music requires more patience from
its listeners than most genres, and from the beginning of Loyal,
it's clear that the same is true. The LP begins with "The
Worship Bell," a title that evokes a call to prayer, but its
execution is an undulating mixture