When Jason and I were young boys, our mother told us a fantastical story that, by her accounts, was true. Set in Mexico, a young girl heard a noise in the alleyway. She looked over her balcony to investigate, and she fell over the railing. As she was holding on with one hand, body dangling, she felt a spirit push her up over the balcony. She, of course, was the girl in the story. El Balcón ("the balcony") is a musical depiction of this tale. The quartet is used as four "guitars," as a vocal quartet, and ultimately as a string quartet in the formal sense. This emotional journey has one foot in classical sensibility and the other in a cinematic sound world. —Sean Neukom

Lyrics:

Cuando era joven
Ella me contó una historia
tiene fantasmas
sucedió en México
asi

es un sueño
fue real no?
a ella

sentada en su cama
un ruido e afuera
puertas balcón abiertas
mirando hacia la calle
asi

despues cayo
despues cayo
despues magia
espíritu

I remember when she told me
her eyes they glowed with joy
she believed every word
and cried
holding on with one hand
then
she felt an angel’s presence there
floating up she let go
she let go