You can immediately tell from the cover that Wilsen are an incredibly creative artist. I'd never heard of them before until this album popped up a couple of weeks back. It turns out, it's a good find. Keeping away from the mainstream, populist music, this band have opted for a more experimental album that is filled with heartfelt emotion and commendable musicianship. This is a fine little album, with all the makings of a classic.
The opening track, Centipede, is sombre enough, but thanks to the background drumming, it holds out as a neat track with some wonderfully underplayed singing from Tamsin Wilson. The album quickly shuffles onto its hit single, Garden, which is far more upbeat, and balances a dance opportunity with a more anthem-like rhythm. A great track, but believe it or not, it's not my favourite on the album. I'm already loving the changing of tempo that each tracks exhibits - it gives the music an originality. It does emulate Daughter a lot though. A harmony in the third track progresses the album into more formulaic territory, but it's lovely to listen to, and undeniably catchy. However, the voiceover in the background can interfere with the flow of the track. Heavy Steps, the fourth track, does attempt to move away towards a different genre, but does not hold out by itself. Otto, on the other hand, is a great attempt at dark, ambient blues - currently it doesn't grab my attention that much, but it could grow on me in the future. After Light Between the Leaves, which is a quaint interlude of a mournful guitar, we get a rehash of the band's first hit single, which is not bad, but I don't think it warrants its praise entirely. True theirs an instrumental bridge towards the centre of the song that ties the instruments together deftly, controlled well by Wilson's incredible voice. Getting closer to the end of the album, it finds a more upbeat tempo in A Parting, that uses its percussion well; providing some awe-inspiring moments. It's let down though, by the fact that the guitar can't escape the tone of the album - this reminiscent plucking that seems to exist in every song so far. You'll be glad you reached the end though, because there's three fine tracks to end this above average album. Emperor especially is a favourite of mine, combing sorrowful lyrics with a tuneful melody. It has a great beat as well, allowing Wilson to create a gradually ebbing effect with her voice, almost as if she's bringing you on a journey through her book of days. Don't miss this one. Final and Told You are also recommended along with Centipede and Garden, offering more percussion-heavy songs that work incredibly well in what is an otherwise ambient-dominated genre. In a world filled with a lot of modern pop, this a refreshing change from the norm. With a variety of experimental offerings to choose from, you'll probably find at least one track you like. It's greatest success is how Wilson can match her beautiful voice perfectly with the instruments used, allowing her singing skills to take you into a dream state - an intention they probably had in making and titling this album. So, job done, and done well. 7.5/10
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AuthorA very passionate Welsh nerd... Archives
October 2017
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