salvation story put to music

Fluid (Alarma)

Michael Knott

By Robert Gruber

Fluid is a concept album, a short story set to music about a young woman named Jenny and her sudden entrance into the eternal. We are introduced to Jenny in the first song, "Crash," after she beats up her boyfriend in a blind rage, then takes off in his classic '64 Cadillac. She crashes the car, dances bloody on the wreckage as the ambulance arrives, then falls into a coma, where she hangs in the balance between heaven and hell. At this point, the devil tries to claim Jenny's soul. In "Over," he speaks to the Almighty Himself, saying, "You made Your righteous impression/Now send her into prison . . ." In "Stars," the devil reveals himself as the false Christ of the New-Age religion Jenny had embraced.

Though comatose, Jenny is alive enough to send out prayers to the Father. "Dear God, could you be my friend . . . find a way to drip me in," she pleads softly in "Cool." Her boyfriend prays too, in "Somewhere," finding a faith he'd never known. Salvation comes in "The Sky," as the Lord Himself says, "Forgive the spilling anger/Forgive with all I did/I heard her try." Knott's sister, Bridget Alford, adds an operatic background voice, giving "The Sky" a lilting, angelic feel.

Musically, the sound is stripped down, guitar-driven rock, in the vein of L.S.U.'s Grape Prophet album. For fans of Mike Knott, Fluid is a much-anticipated thrill, given that it was recorded three years ago (label problems forced the album to be shelved until recently). For fans of bands like Bush, Oasis or Love & Rockets, Fluid would be a perfect intro to the cult of Knott.