Thursday, 27 January 2011
Home Assembly Music HALF PRICE SALE
Blow Up
The new EP by former Hood Richard Adams is a really nice surprise. The sound that spreads from these 4 tracks is reminiscent of the previous band's but without the intermission, the disturbed frequencies that made us love Hood. Here the sound is reduced to the bone, to an impalpable substance resting on everything and leaving a soft, permanent track, recalling the golden years of 4AD and Project. The choice might appear dated but is actually appropriate, if guided by the feeling of loss and melancholy that is Richard's most sincere link with the past (7/8) Roberto Canella
Oh and its now available domestically in Japan care of Linus Records
Otherwise Secret Furry Hole, Norman Records
Friday, 14 January 2011
Leonards Lair Review
A nice review of our 'Scenes from the Back Bedroom Window EP from the ever reliable and perceptive Leonards Lair
"As a member of Hood, Richard Adams has played a major part in leading a group of British artists who bring the sounds of the environment in to their music, whilst also incorporating hip-hop and electronica in to their peculiarly brilliant vision. With Hood still on hiatus, Adams has led The Declining Winter through a couple of albums and singles which have even encompassed an alternative (and pretty decent) World Cup theme. ‘Scenes From The Back Bedroom Window’ is their latest EP and one which epitomises Adams’ skills and wilfully subervise approach to music."
"The EP begins with doomy church organ straight from the Talk Talk school of misery as Adams sighs dejectedly. It’s a strange choice for a lead-off track since what comes after it is far more involving. As you’d expect from its title, ‘Killer’ is a instrumental that demands to be noticed. Adams sings in a distant whisper but the distorted guitars circle round in hypnotic fashion. ‘Nobody Else’ features the rustic-sounding guitars which will be familiar to those who have appreciated Hood’s Northern take on post-rock over the years. This leaves the despairing ‘Rachel’; a song so tender and sad and reminiscent of July Skies at his lovelorn best."
‘Scenes…’ takes the unusual step of each track being better than the last one. However, since The Declining Winter don’t have the pressure of front-loading their releases, this is a good move as the listener gets rewarded the more he/she listens. Best of all, Adams proves that rather than distancing himself from his parent band, he celebrates those influences to produce a brief but moving selection.