SNOWPOET - Thought You Knew
Edition: EDN1105
Lauren Kinsella: vocals; Chris Hyson: electric bass, double bass, piano, synths; Nicholas Costley-White: acoustic guitar; Matthew Robinson: piano; Dave Hamblett: drums; Josh Arcoleo: saxophone; Alice Zawadski: violin; Francesaca Ter-Berg: cello; Lloyd Haines: drums, percussion
Record January 2017 Fieldgate Studio, Cardiff.
This is the follow-up to 2106’s eponymous debut, which was very well received. This is a band that Greg Cordez drew our attention to in Take Five (number 41). The set picks up where the last album left off – Lauren Kinsella’s multi-tracked vocals bring an emotional depth and musical richness to her lyrics. She also gives a compelling rendition of her poem ‘It’s already better than OK’ (track 9) in a lilting brogue these keeps bursting into song at the end of lines, pulling out of some of the phrases, which delightfully captures her sense of strength in the face of adversity (‘I believe in sadness and desolation because what comes out is the truth/ I’ve been trying to separate my head and my heart / I’m constantly failing but I’m failing better’). You can see, on this track, why so many critics compared her with Bjork, but positive though that comparison is meant to be, it does miss a great deal of the differences in the ways in which these songs and lyrics are created and delivered. It also implies a debt that is only partially owed; Kinsella's ability to develop tunes and wring the meaning from lyrics is something all her own. The songs have a confessional quality to them, although it is not always apparent whether these are autobiographical or whether she is creating compelling characters and having these voice their experiences. Certainly the way that she draws the listener into the two covers on this set (Gillian Welch’s ‘Dear someone’, track 5, and Emiliana Torrini’s ‘Snow’, track 6) suggest that the vocal delivery is about find the emotional centre of the words and their relationship with the music surrounding them.
The musical structures vary from off-kilter pop to the broader sensibilities of nu-jazz (which is mixture of soul and electronica). Arcoleo's sax playing has a hesitancy in its phrasing on tracks such as ‘Love again’ (track 4) and ‘Two of cups’ (track 8) which not only emphasise the lyrics but also, oddly, bring out the well-defined structure of the music. The string arrangements on track 8 and ‘Water baby’ (track 3) give a richer palette for Kinsella and Hyson to work with. This album takes all that was strong and powerful from their debut and ratchets this up a gear.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Edition: EDN1105
Lauren Kinsella: vocals; Chris Hyson: electric bass, double bass, piano, synths; Nicholas Costley-White: acoustic guitar; Matthew Robinson: piano; Dave Hamblett: drums; Josh Arcoleo: saxophone; Alice Zawadski: violin; Francesaca Ter-Berg: cello; Lloyd Haines: drums, percussion
Record January 2017 Fieldgate Studio, Cardiff.
This is the follow-up to 2106’s eponymous debut, which was very well received. This is a band that Greg Cordez drew our attention to in Take Five (number 41). The set picks up where the last album left off – Lauren Kinsella’s multi-tracked vocals bring an emotional depth and musical richness to her lyrics. She also gives a compelling rendition of her poem ‘It’s already better than OK’ (track 9) in a lilting brogue these keeps bursting into song at the end of lines, pulling out of some of the phrases, which delightfully captures her sense of strength in the face of adversity (‘I believe in sadness and desolation because what comes out is the truth/ I’ve been trying to separate my head and my heart / I’m constantly failing but I’m failing better’). You can see, on this track, why so many critics compared her with Bjork, but positive though that comparison is meant to be, it does miss a great deal of the differences in the ways in which these songs and lyrics are created and delivered. It also implies a debt that is only partially owed; Kinsella's ability to develop tunes and wring the meaning from lyrics is something all her own. The songs have a confessional quality to them, although it is not always apparent whether these are autobiographical or whether she is creating compelling characters and having these voice their experiences. Certainly the way that she draws the listener into the two covers on this set (Gillian Welch’s ‘Dear someone’, track 5, and Emiliana Torrini’s ‘Snow’, track 6) suggest that the vocal delivery is about find the emotional centre of the words and their relationship with the music surrounding them.
The musical structures vary from off-kilter pop to the broader sensibilities of nu-jazz (which is mixture of soul and electronica). Arcoleo's sax playing has a hesitancy in its phrasing on tracks such as ‘Love again’ (track 4) and ‘Two of cups’ (track 8) which not only emphasise the lyrics but also, oddly, bring out the well-defined structure of the music. The string arrangements on track 8 and ‘Water baby’ (track 3) give a richer palette for Kinsella and Hyson to work with. This album takes all that was strong and powerful from their debut and ratchets this up a gear.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
