Woman's Hour
Conversations
July 21 2014 (Secretly Canadian)
7/10
Words: Alison Mack
Much noise has been made over the debut album from this sibling-led four-piece, and much anticipation ahead of release for its 11 tracks of synth dreampop. Evidence has already been forthcoming by way of track releases to instill a taste of their somewhat refined - some may even go so far as to say unemotional - style of electronica.
Opener 'Unbroken Sequence' meets a soft synth with equal softness from vocalist Fiona Burgess, as she asks, "If I rest, I break and resist, would it be better for you?" and a chorus-to-wallow in, which is heard again on 'In Stillness We Remain', although with a more strident bassline, and the minimal refrain of ‘Two Sides Of You’. The title track with its “awkward moments of strange affection” maintains a mid-tempo beat that never threatens to overwhelm, while elsewhere 'Darkest Place' is layered with ambient percussion, shimmering synths and vocal effects, and 'Our Love Has No Rhythm' is steeped in atmospheric electro.
While Woman's Hour deliver a lot to be liked on this first full-length, at 42 minutes it feels just a little too long to sustain uninterrupted interest, and therefore hard to come away with any lasting memories other than a B* for a good effort.
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