Brett Larson of Látlaus Ský
Painting by Angie Spiering.
The End of Sorrow by Látlaus Ský is the first of a two-part musical story of 'Sam and Sara,' who meet on the uncertain river of life. Without understanding it, they fall in love. Seasons come and go, they watch the leaves change together, and the stream that flows by the house they built together.
But dark clouds stir in the night and give Sam an intense worry and fear that he will lose everything. Eventually his fear is confirmed. Like all travelers, Sam and Sara part again, as the waves twist and turn.
The album, The End of Sorrow, is a response to the question, "Can souls that are separated ever be whole again?"
Sam embarks on a journey to answer this question as the album's music traverses biting windblown cliffs, dark and murky rivers that whisper to him in his sleep, oceans that beckon beyond the horizon.
Near the end of this first album, Sam is left floating on his back, looking up at the shifting clouds and blue skies. He hears the waterfall approaching, horrific and beautiful at the same time. Perhaps all rivers, in the end, do eventually lead to the sea.
Painting by Angie Spiering.
About The Recordings
The earliest of these songs was written in 2010. I continued writing until 2014, when it became clear to me that I could work on this story forever. The story was initially called, "Sam/Sara, and the End of Sorrow." As time went by and we familiarized ourselves with the emotions and intimacy of the sounds, many songs and ideas were cut, actually making the story more deeply colored in my eyes.
Most of these songs were recorded live, after many attempts at producing a 'hi-fidelity' record failed. Eventually I decided to let the songs be simple and, at this point, I am deeply satisfied with how things have turned out.
It is my wife, my love, Abby, who you hear singing from time to time as the voice of Sara. It was Abby who believed in the album when I wanted to quit. She stood patiently by as I recorded the wind and waves passing over a cave by the ocean in Spain. She waited with me for the sea gulls to speak at the Oregon coast. She co-wrote and re-wrote the whole story many times. The music and I are indebted and tied to her in a most grateful and glad way.
I would encourage you to listen to the entire album in a sitting, as it is a story that unravels as you listen. (To listen to the entire 'story of Sam and Sara' in The End of Sorrow at Bandcamp.)