Has post-folk been copyrighted yet? In perhaps the most unique debut offering I’ve heard all year (or is that Micachu and the Shapes?), Brighton’s Sons of Noel and Adrian and have taken several blueprints and mashed them into something utterly mesmerizing.
It’s quite a hard album to describe in many ways (especially without the benefit of a press release). It’s reminiscent of an organic sounding Tunng (eg, ‘Indigo’) at times, whilst at others more like Radiohead engaging in some medieval sound-tracking (observed, for example, on ‘Damien’). The guitar parts sound frequently complicated and others have made a career just out of this sort of playing, without the benefit of several other talented musicians in support. An army of instruments make an appearance over the course of these nine tracks, with each new song an exercise in the unexpected.
Each song is built around strong compositions where vocals are only a small part of the performance. Each song goes through so many phases that it’s easy to get lost in it; the time flies by. On repeated listens you hear new things, which makes it rewarding beyond the impact on the first listen.
It’s very much a collective effort and with that, you find that the songs grow subtly and develop without you really noticing until the end and you feel a little bit like you’ve been on a journey. At times nigh on a choir of vocals creep in, when seconds ago you were sure it was just the one voice. Other points male-female duets (‘Divorce’) or sparse isolated solos take place, each to different effect. Variety is in place throughout this album. (‘Kernow’) is an immediate-sounding lament, whilst the vast, urgent soundscape created by (‘Ragwort’) is nigh on folk-psychedelia. Even at the most dramatic moments, you don’t feel like the minstrels and damsels are very far away.
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This is a startling release that really generates feeling on the first listen. It’s complex but very accessible. It’s so rich in some ways that it’s hard to enjoy the whole nine tracks all at once, and is perhaps best taken a few songs at a time. There are thousands of ideas crammed into this, each one leading on to another that is just as pleasant. Chin scratchers rejoice, for here is something special. So good I nearly forgot to comment on how ace their name is.
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