Shield Patterns
Contour Lines
June 9 2014 (Gizeh Records)
7/10
Words: Alison Mack
The thing with any artist, any album, is more often than not it will contain one or two outstanding tracks, perhaps three or four that are very good, with the rest fair to middling. Furthermore, unless you are a fan of the said artist or genre, you may not venture much for any prolonged period beyond three or four tracks before you are mentally switching off. Manchester-based duo Shield Patterns' debut here falls very much into all the aforementioned categories.
The duo, vocalist Claire Brentnall and Gizeh Records founder Richard Knox, are without doubt a pairing that works well on many levels, with Brentnall's vocals being of the ethereally hypnotic kind that hold you in awe regardless of the musical content, while Knox provides just the right level of electronic ambience behind to fuse the two together to form a cohesive unit.
Shield Patterns have already unveiled several tracks which appear over the last year, and these, taken alone, are more than worth spending time with. 'Dust Hung Heavy' is possibly not just the best they themselves have done, but something which can arguably hold its place amongst the finest of its genre. Brentnall’s vocals as striking as they are, are always to be the drawing force and here, her resemblance to Kate Bush is in no doubt; the ice cool preciseness of the metallic beats, sample loops and ysynth behind mix together seamlessly. Likewise, 'The Rule', where minimalism digs deep into depths of skittering electronic elements.
Their sound is constructed in such a carefully produced way that even elements such as the resonant piano on ominous opener 'Shade' to end-piece 'Charon' with its woodwind orchestration and vocal harmonies, manage to sound dark and detached. Elsewhere we see the industrial workings of ‘Present State’ deliver a sharpness that rests somewhat uneasily when placed against the sparseness of 'Ruby Red'
Whilst 'Contour Lines' is a worthy first outing, its failure to rise above aloof coldness and offer a change of temperature, becomes slightly wearing after a few hearings.
No comments:
Post a Comment