25-01-2010Album reviews - Blueneck
The Fallen Host - Release 8-2-10
The hour between your head hitting the pillow and you then falling asleep was made for a band like Blueneck. Like Explosions in the Sky or Mono this crew of ambient noise-mongers play in a style of the unwritten movie score. The soundscapes that are on offer are set to evoke mood and emotion and give music the art appeal. I see this area of alternative music as a classical equivalent, where far more intent is placed upon the dynamics and structures of the songs and messages are implied rather than dictated. Blueneck also seem to appreciate this notion and it makes 'The Fallen Host' a welcoming inclusion to my daily listening rituals.
One benefit Blueneck has is the inclusions of vocals adding a greater feel of the notion of the song rather than music as a piece. It is only sporadic but when used sets off another arrow from the Blueneck Bow. Take for example new single 'Lilitu' which creeps its way in as the album reaches its penultimate station. With a simple note only variably changing the vocals have a Thom Yorke feel about the way in which the are delivered. Building up with the rest for the piece the heavily delay triggered drums add an electronic feel whilst a string addition add a sound reminiscent of the whale call. It is iconic and elusive and reaches out to you as a listener more than any other track on this album.
Opening with the safe progressions and only mildly tinged in darkness, 'Depart From Me (You Who Are Cursed) sets a tone and lets the listener know just what kind of experience they are in for. With 'Seven' the band push their ability to create drama and tension through their instruments and work well at creating a certain ambivalence.
'Low' is the first track to feature the delicately stripped vocals of Duncan Attwood. His voice is calmly evasive fading in to the music but still retaining its prominence, lyrically I didn't pick up on much but it did add an extra dimension that was not on offer on the previous numbers. After the verse tunes out an acoustic guitar is left alone to rhythmically strum in simplicity before building into an explosion of controlled noise.
'Weaving Spiders Come Not Here' makes use of a lonely sounding piano. I picture it as if in a gigantic warehouse being played in solitary confinement and gently build's into something far more introspective. Like the scene from a movie where everything comes together, where the real perpetrator is revealed and you think back to all the red herrings you've witnessed.
The band has a sound that seems to bemoan its four members. Like a two actor play the band each take upon extra roles to deliver a full performance, using their understanding and experience from a decade of playing together. The only constructive criticism that comes to mind is that on certain songs, predominantly the longer numbers, the repetition of sections although still working seems too safe. I would have liked to see what the band can do with experimentation and diversity within the confines of the ambient as it is this for me which makes a good band great. Still this moody yet transient album is certainly worth checking out if Sigur Ros, Godspeed! You Black Emperor and Mogwaii are already on your selected play lists or you simply want to grace your ears with a bit of beauty.
