gravenhurst - black holes in the sand
a very different mini lp on warp.
6 tracks of darkness that has somehow made far too many appearances on my playlist recently, to the degree that i am concerned for my mental well being as normally this type of thing ( ie folk based acoustic guitars) bypasses me and doesn't hit the spot so why is this different ?
well, i reckon that nick (the groups main protagonist) has married the light laidback folk stylings with such elements of dark shadows and uneasy emotions that anyone that hears this stuff is immediately under the spell of the music. at first there is the title track, with its basic guitar strum, which at first wash over but put on the headphones and listen .. there's a whole layer of extras buried within, the screeching feedback (quietly mind), the sci-fi synth, the death row drum beat all making for a harrowing 7 minute opening track. followed by 'flowers in her hair' featuring more evil folk, acoustically sweet, though the spacious electronic drone lifts the track into the required horror soundtrack level as the listener is drawn into the impeding doom.
the mood lifts, ever so slightly, with 'still water', melodious to the extreme. lyrically recalling ancient symbols of talismans. eerie and very special for these long nights, especially when at 3 minutes the tambourines echo in the distance against the hammond organ and electrified guitar drawing the melody line out to its logical conclusion. 'winter moon' is a far more stripped down (if that can be possible) affair, nick with a guitar and little else in rough demo mode, subsequently this one doesn't really grab me.
showing the other side of nicks passions the band have covered an old husker du track 'diane', which i have to admit i have never heard, but its inclusion shows that the record player is not full of 'ben and jason' style sweetness that's for sure. the song is wonderful but not nice at all. the songs character declaring his evil intent of rape and murder. this duality of the sweet melody and the heavy lyrical content are almost too intense to take.
fucking intense.
luckily the record finishes with an instrumental of acoustic guitars and laid back feedback and a very slight rhythm which acts as a buffer before entering the real world once more.
ok, i wont be dropping the ep onto the decks when friends are round, or when the sun shines, but i have to admit that nick has a gorgeous vocal quality and the addition of the eerie layers of instrumentation and revelations of dark side of the moods - definitely appeals to these ears.