This album is a huge departure from ’80 Spheres’, even though it was the next release, not only in musical style but in the way it was approached by Andy Faunch (vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, samples & manipulations, percussion) as this time around he was joined by old bandmates Michael McClure (guitars), Dave Blackburn (drums & percussion) and Andy Stone (fretless bass) along with Gary Aylesbrook (trumpet, flugelhorn). This is far closer in style to the first two albums (from 1999 and 2016 respectively). The use of horns has taken the music in a slightly different direction, but there is the knowledge this is far more thoughtful, with strong lyrical messaging and arrangements which provides majestic backdrops.
There is still something of an Eighties feel to this, but while the previous release was overtly pop this has much more depth, and while Talking Heads are still an influence it also feels quite British in its approach. It is strange to hear two albums to be so very different when released consecutively, and it is quite possible that someone who likes ’80 Spheres’ will not get on with this at all, and vice versa, which is one of the things which makes Bandcamp such a useful tool in that it is possible to play them and get a feeling to what they are like. “Forget” is a luscious jazz rock fusion number with deep South American roots, with the horns a delight and the percussion providing a wonderful shuffle, yet the number after that is very different indeed, deeper and slower. It is an incredibly diverse album, with the only constant being Andy’s vocals as one never knows what is going to happen from one song to the next as the styles keep changing, yet somehow it all manages to make sense. Whereas some of Andy’s albums are quite immediate, the true beauty of this one only makes itself known on repeated plays. Well worth hearing.
Rating: 7/10
[bandcamp width=350 height=786 album=3716196635 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5]
Links:
https://faunch.bandcamp.com/