According to their bios, SEAR vocalist Michelle Richfield and bassist/ instumentalist Danny North go back some way musically, having previously collaborated in bands such as Blasphemer and Dominion.
This writer never heard those bands, but he doubts they'd be anything like as exciting a proposition as Sear are. At this point, I should point out that Danny may also be familiar to you through the West Yorkshire hard rockers Brody, and that Brody guitarist Tom Allen also represents the crucial third side of the Sear triangle.
Certainly, the lads have brought a little of Brody's atmosphere to Sear, but aside from that, "Until The Dust Lies" is a very different kettle of hemlock indeed. These four tracks are boiling over with intrigue and lust and invoke all sorts of heady emotions.
Superficially, the imediate reference points are Bristolian. Michelle's kooked-out, velvet-y voice does recall Beth Gibbons, while the soundscapes have a densely intriguing, trip-hoppy feel. Listen for any length of time, though, and plenty of other possibilities poke through the mesh.
Take the title track for instance: Tom's contribution is crucial here, ranging from starkly pretty acoustic picking to full-on Muse-style rearing riffs and distant E-bow drones. Run together, it's an intricate tapestry and one you'll want to mull over for some time.
|
"A Better Place" and "Headlights" slug it out as contenders for the best track here, though. The former is built around the kind of nagging guitar figure Andy Summers would be proud of and features perhaps Michelle's iciest vocal here, while "Headlights" just reeks of enigma, down to the lonely piano, cloaking cello and beautifully melancholy echoed guitars. "After midnight, no reservations," emotes Michelle, perfectly capturing the song's eerie, late-night vibe.
I don't know if Sear are intended as more than a part-time project as Tom and Danny have commitments aplenty with Brody, but let's hope the two bands can co-exist happily as Sear are really worth seeking out. "Until The Dust Lies" is an irresistible, twilight-fuelled listen and boy, does it have the spook.
(www.spoongoon.co.uk)
|
