Guillemots
Through The Windowspane

THE REVIEW

Pour into a shaker an Englishman (vocals and keyboards), a Brazilian (guitars), a Scotsman (percussion), and a Canadian woman (bass), shake well and you'll get the Guillemots, who debuted last July 10th with their first official album: a collection of 12 tracks (some of which were previously recorded in earlier EPs), perhaps not all of the same level but equally considered among the top three in my personal chart of the current year.

"Through The Windows Pane" is a splendid and mature album, that leaves a deep impression and they are incredibly talented. Rich with multiple sounds, the arrangements are beautiful, perhaps sometimes a tad too cunning, but the surprise is always lurking behind every note, because they have many ways to "surprise the listener" (successfully) and not just among the various tracks. There is so much in this CD: orchestral and minimal music, pop, swing, jazz, and noise bound together with a hint of Brazilian sounds. Everything blends with dilated and melancholic melodies now, energetic and bright later, accompanied by the simply splendid voice of Fyfe Dangerfield, who takes center stage among strings and brass.

You never know what's coming next, and thus it might even seem too overwhelming (and it is), but everything is well-calibrated, giving an evident original sound. The opening track Little Bear and the final track San Paolo capture the essence of 'Through The Windows Pane': the first showcases the depth of the album, with 5 sweet minutes of “classical music”, the second, with almost 12 minutes of musical purity, presents its versatility and completeness, concluding with the full-throated screams of Dangerfield, the Rio carnival, and the din of “any instrument”, fading into a haunting yet short lullaby. Fascinating. Too much to describe, because unpredictability is the real subject of 'Through The Windows Pane', each track is a different story and sound. It must simply be listened to in order to let one's emotions and dreams flow freely.

The hope is to find them once again at these creative levels in the near future (but will it ever be possible?), however, now it's too early to think about it, now it's just the moment to thoroughly enjoy this magnificent work. Regards, Addison.