Richard Reed Parry: Music for Heart and Breath

The title of Richard Reed Parry’s debut album may suggest a collection of idyllic ambient soundscapes suited for an extended yoga session. But it’s actually truth in advertising at its fullest: a core description of these half-dozen pieces written for a variety of settings, ranging from a viola-and-piano duo to a string quartet (Kronos, specifically) to a 14-piece orchestra. Best known as a member of the alternative rock ensemble Arcade Fire, multi-instrumentalist Parry has performers use either their own stethoscope-amplified individual heartbeats or breaths to dictate the tempo. The opening track, “Quartet for Heart and Breath,” is performed by yMusic, a string/woodwind/brass sextet. The legato strings sound tranquil, if occasionally slightly out of sync by design, while the pizzicato lines come across like nervous fireflies. The seven-part “Interruptions (Heart and Breath Nonet)” consists mostly of charged vignettes with yMusic, brothers Bryce and Aaron on guitars, and Parry playing double bass.