Thus Owls - Turning Rocks (Secret City Records)
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| Thus Owls - Turning Rocks |
Release Date: 7th April 2014
Before I go any further with
this, I am slightly disturbed that Thus Owls have managed to incorporate a
painting of my Nan's face as their album artwork. I mean, it's a lovely tribute
to her in this, the year of her (and my Grandad's) 70th wedding anniversary,
but are they doing this for every blogger? Individually designed artwork based
around the senior members of the writers family? Weird. Dedicated but weird.
"But what of the music?" I hear you ask. This, this of the music. The
part Swedish, part Canadian collective kick off the album with 'As Long As We
Try A Little', a piano based tune with delicate vocals that gently grows in a
way that Tori Amos would be proud of. Things get a little slinkier on 'How, In
My Bones' was a sashaying bass line and a teasing rhythm under the seductive
siren call of the wonderfully named Erika Angell. Now, the start of 'Bloody
War' is bonkers and beyond description but as the song unfolds I am reminded of
the likes of Kimbra or PJ Harvey in terms of their penchant for off-kilter
rhythms and jazz influenced structures.
There is an ominous low thrum at
the beginning of 'A Windful Of Screams' which never lets up until the song
gives way to the gentles vocal harmonies that lead in to 'Ropes' where Angell
once again channels her best Tori Amos blended with more than a little Kate
Bush. Album title track 'Turning Rocks' starts with a synth tapping out some
kind of morse code before the drones get bigger and more biblical as the message
becomes more urgent. 'Smoke Like Birds' makes use of some understated but
complexly layered keyboard melodies while 'White Flags Down' has a coquettish
charm that Regina Spektor has perfected in recent years. Penultimate track
'Could I But Dream That Dream Once More' is pure Flaming Lips meets Arcade Fire
bonkersness and is almost certainly not of this world...in a good way. Putting
'Thief' at the end of the album must have been an easy choice as it has such an
apocalyptic feel that nothing could really come after its dead, desolate tones
and sparse rhythm. I'm not quite sure where to place this album in terms of
genre - I think it wants to be avant garde pop but there are more elements to
it than that as it takes in goth, indie and a hint of the neo-classical in some
of the arrangements. Interesting and beautiful in equal measure.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/ThusOwls?fref=ts
Live Dates:
11th April - Petit Champlain, Quebec
21st April - Maison Des Arts De Laval, Laval
1st July - Ottawa Jazz Festival, Ottawa
10th July - SherBlues & Folk Festival, Sherbrooke