|
Review:
|
The Parisian band have a long history stretching back
to 1998, but this is only their second album, coming 3 years
after their first, ‘Inside’. Their music lies somewhere
around bands such as Muse, Renaissance, Pink Floyd, Porcupine
Tree, Streams of Passion and Mostly Autumn, with just the
right mix of musical sophistication and melodic accessibility.
Singer Sandy has a gorgeous voice, with echoes of Heather
Findlay and Marcela Bovio, which perfectly suits the music.
It starts with ‘Complete City’, which sounds like souped
up Mostly Autumn, followed by the Renaissance like soft
jazz of ‘Impending Dawn’, complete with Anthony’s Jon Camp
like bass, that moves into a dreamy trumpet passage, before
some dramatic classical piano brings the song back again.
‘Among Them’ is a delicate instrumental with Olivier’s electric
guitar arpeggios, strings and piano, before the epic ‘Into
the Vortex’ which starts out as a spaced out Pink Floyd
trip and then builds in power and majesty as it moves into
Muse territory, complete with guitar and Hammond wigouts.
After the hurricane comes the peaceful piano ballad ‘Gravity’,
and the appropriately swooping synths that announce the
beginning of title track, ‘Aerial’, another songs that builds
and gathers momentum, with more delightful piano from Coco,
and I love the way the instruments drop out at the end just
leaving Sandy’s lovely voice. Weird synths signal the thumping
beat of the Muse like rocker, ‘Whirltime’, again balanced
with the gentle, dreamy, Latin infused duet, ‘Alone, which
features the wonderfully melancholic voice of Mick Moss
(Antimatter), with more gorgeous piano and acoustic guitar.
The album moves into India as we catch the Marrakesh Express
of ‘Saffron’s Theatre’ as is gathers pace and steams into
the Porcupinish ‘Nomad Wave’, which is alternately atmospheric
and powerful. Dreamy Fender Rhodes and tremolo guitar float
through ‘Playground’, which segues into the Renaissance
like ‘Serotonine’ that gathers pace as it soars, and the
CD ends with the Mostly Autumn mellowness of ‘Precious Pond’.
The musicianship throughout is exemplary, with special
mention to drummer Alexis who skilfully drives the band
along, and the super clear modern production. I love bands
that can slip up and down the gears effortlessly, this gives
variety, light and shade, and when The Last Embrace get
going, they purr along the road like a Hispano-Suiza grand
tourer. This record fits me like my favourite old woolly
jumper; I cannot find any fault with it, so motor along
to http://www.myspace.com/70455931
and take it for a spin.
10 out of 10 Phil
|
