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Rating: The latest CD from my favorite group and one of my favorites from their entire production, despite being somewhat self-celebratory or echoing compositional patterns from previous works. I've never used standard labels to describe their genre to those unfamiliar with them... I preferred subjective and bizarre "labels." Meteorological music, emotional landscapes, sonic erotism, joy of living, harmony etc. The Scottish trio has always been able to create original and often ethereal melodies further enhanced by Liz Fraser's inimitable and sensual voice. A woman of great refinement and extreme originality in the study and creation of the very same songs. A great natural talent is complemented by the intelligence to use the most diverse techniques and styles to create something unique. Liz ranges from jazz settings to mantras, from the highest pitches and lyrical vocalizations to deeper tones, or from the early similar-punk to funeral songs or sacred hymns.
"Violane" opens the CD with powerful electric guitars and keyboard effects that seem to mimic those of a spaceship (!) Liz uses her well-known non-language and plays with double voices. The other tracks, after years of deliberately indecipherable lyrics, have real words and real concepts even if hermetic and intimate. "Serpentskirt" is dedicated to her second child, the melancholic "rain" arpeggio of the guitars opens up towards the end, clearing the clouds. "Tishbite" is a nice track but perhaps doesn't stand out due to guitars used in a more traditional and repetitive way as well as the singing. "Half-gifts" has a very intimate atmosphere thanks to a circular bass line, a dreamy guitar arpeggio, and a vintage organ. The shy muse narrates the painful breakup with Guthrie and how she managed to regain her self-esteem as a woman and as an artist in an intimate tone. "Calfskin smack" is another nice but less impactful track where one can have fun singing along the double voice choruses reminiscent of baby's babbling. "Rilkean Heart" brings back glimpses of sunlight already seen in tracks from "Bluebell Knoll," sung by an angel to her heart still recovering (indirect hints at the difficulties of rebalancing after the therapy undertaken to confront childhood trauma caused by family abuse). "Ups" is a piece to propose to speech therapists and those who want to correct pronunciation defects: at concerts, there was a hilarious chorus among the audience of "ba-ba trrrrrrr"!
"Eperdu" takes us back to the dreamy atmospheres of "Victorialand" with double voices worthy of sirens upon the rocks (I recommend listening to it with headphones alone at sea). "Treasure hiding" has a structure similar to "Pur" and "Ooze out and away, onehow" where a slow and intermittent guitar prelude transitions into melodious arpeggios with a vocal crescendo of great effect and rare beauty. One of the most beautiful tracks on this CD, an emotional transition from penumbra to luminous reverberation. The best, however, comes at the end... the CD closes with "Seekers who are lovers". The guitar effects through echoes and reverbs create a very particular sound: the seabed, the wind in the storm, the center of a glacier. A vocalization worthy of Opera, which melts stones, joins the main doubled-voice singing. Robin Guthrie specifically created this sound as a tribute to the great Morricone. I have fond memories of Robin, kind and very humble: "you too can learn to play the guitar as I do!"
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Flock of Soul (03:39)
Whispers she softly, sweet songs in the bed of dreams:
No answer, sweet song light
Sing? I'd love to
to sunlight, a song in the bed of dreams
Cover me in Sublime light, with tingles
Sing, and touch me
With sad lust and revealing dreams
Your song light will touch me
Sing nice body, passing through and over me
So find me, come and answer me
We find it deep, this, my minute, friend
Not long before the wisps of starlight,
meet the sunrise thru the window (shining)
From outside, come in to toss me.
Come back now, to find the sunlight.
Come back now, put sunlight on, oh
Be with me and dream, it's my minute, friend
Come feel the deep
It's love in a floodlight
Come feel the deep
It's love in a flood
ahhhh ahhhh oohhhh
ooohhh ahhh ahhhhh
Sing and touch light, satisfying me
The sunlight will touch me
Sing as from me, pass it over me, sublime me and I'll ...come back to you.
03 Round (03:36)
I, I will stay focused
When the thoughts do land
It's positive reinforcement
This sense of movement
This place, enjoy it
It gives me a new sense of progress
Tells me I've got capacity to improve
Yes, I will stay focused
When the thoughts do land
This place, enjoy it
This place, enjoy it
This place, enjoy it
Enjoy it
Because because
Because because
Because because
Because because
Because because
The wheel turned
The wheel turned
The wheel turned
This place, enjoy it
This place, enjoy it
Enjoy it
Because because
Because because
Because because
Because because
Because because
The wheel turned
The wheel turned
The wheel turned
This place, enjoy it
This place, enjoy it
Enjoy it
Because because
Because because
Because because
Because because
Because because
The wheel turned
The wheel turned
The wheel turned
05 Smile (04:27)
Long-term scares us when we're down...
I really need to know if you are in love...
Choose your way of life
Choose your way of life, Damon
It's your life, It's your
It's your life, It's your
Choose your way of life
Choose your way of life, Damon
08 Alice (04:31)
When I lost him ache
Shudder shock of pale
My, my true love
Nicolo(whatever his last name was, sounds like eperdu?)these days are
smoking days
Though he won't see
(Deceived me)You deceive me
(With you)Erase it I will not
(to stay)Touching a helix(didn't she know alex?)
(I I will plead)Blotting an excuse you
(alice, alice, alice, alice, alice)
would share,
(alice, alice, alice, alice, alice)
who shall
(alice, alice, alice, alice, alice)
replace
(alice, alice, alice, alice, alice)
You
When I lost him ache
Shudder shock of pale
My, my true love
Nicolo(?) This mess I smoke away
And he won't see
(pushing me)Oops she fell
(with you)Racin her bike
(so you)touching her lies
(not me)
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