Album Notes

Blending acoustic arrangements alongside subtle introspective vocals, "Eleven Continents" is the first offering from multi-instrumentalist Ryan Francesconi (RF) and vocalist Lili De La Mora. In the spirit of collaboration, both decided to invite a few friends to contribute to the record. The addition of Familiar Trees' vocalist Fabiola Sanchez adds a warmth and conversational aspect to the lyrics, while Joanna Newsom's harp adds a resonance to Francesconi's arrangements of cello, viola, winds and subtle percussion. While the arrangements and textures are reminiscent of his releases under the RF moniker, much of the electronic aspect of his other music has been replaced by the breathy tone and sincerity of Lili De La Mora's lyrics. "In addition to Ryan Francesconi's deftly picked guitar and Lili De La Mora's breathy voice, wisps of cello, trumpet, flute, and harp drift through the album gentle as a breeze, never upsetting its delicate balance. The result is music that moves efficiently without sounding hollow and artificial, music that is full of embellishment while sounding neither gaudy nor ostentatious. The album's finest moments, though, come when the silvery tones of Joanna Newsom's harp join the mix. The album's title track unfurls to reveal a rushing, ever-growing spiral of graceful guitars, playful harp strings, and fragile, pensive vocals. Every note sounds as if it has been bathed in silvery twilight." [::OpusZine::] Multi-instrumentalist Ryan Francesconi (RF) and sensually hushed vocalist Lili De La Mora have collaborated to form the most gorgeous album of the year thus far. Eleven Continents is an intricate 12-song piece that's largely acoustic and delightfully artful. RF's electronic flourishes are absent throughout the entire album, and additional organic, all-star musicians such as Fabiola Sanchez & Ken Negrete (familiar trees) and Joanna Newsom (yes...that girl) grace several tracks with their presence. "Miles And Miles" is an orchestral composition laced with RF's beautiful acoustic plucking, as warm cellos, harps, and brass linger in the background of Mora's soft vocal musings. Fabiola Sanchez (familiar trees) carries the lead vocal in "Kings", a melancholy song that haunts you with its painful, rainy day other-worldliness. The ambience that Eleven Continents demonstrates is chilling, especially because every atmosphere is created without the help of wall-of-sound shoegazing or laptop assisted glitching. The songcraft here is nothing short of stellar, and Francesconi's playing is masterful. It seems like all the ingredients are near perfect for this record, and the outcome is sheer beauty. I highly, highly, highly recommend this album for fans of Familiar Trees, Cocteau Twins, RF, Hammock, FR Luzzi, and The Innocence Mission.[::theblackandwhite::] Ryan Francesconi (aka RF) teams up with Lili de la Mora to do a majestic piece of an album with 'Eleven Continents'. If you're familiar with RF, then you can get a somewhat idea of what to expect musically. Also featured on the record are Familiar Trees' members, Fabiola Sanchez and Ken Negrete; as well as Joanna Newsom for a few tracks and an array of others. The definite drive of the album is a combination of RF's intricate acoustic guitar workings along with Lili and Fabiola's soft, plaintive voices. RF combines his classically structured guitar picking with supporting instruments such as harp, cello, viola, and trumpet. The entire album is very soft and delicate, carrying a mood of its' own. With the absence of electronic instruments, and the presence of the angelic voices of Lili de la Mora and Fabiola Sanchez, 'Eleven Continents' is like a throw-back to a different time and place. Before industrialization and the fierce "gogogo" culture of today. 'Eleven Continents' paints a picture of a different time where natural beauty and peace was a part of every day life. This is not an album to 'rock' in the car, rather it's a record to sit back, relax and breath in some fresh air on the patio to. We don't need more drugs to take away depression and stress, we need more time to listen to records like this and dream of a better place. [:: N/A Reviews ::]