THE
SOUNDCARRIERS
Celeste
I
know this is a music review and I should be starting out with the
music, but my good friend David Day down at Jive
Time Records has
got me on this album art kick lately (check out his homage to
vintage
album art here) and I find myself for the first
time in months fondling and leafing through a CD insert, looking
at photos, appreciating art and reading liner notes while I
listen. I won't say that I would enjoy this as much without the
primo semi-psych sounds of The
Soundcarriers as
background, but it is, to use a phrase younger than I will ever be
again, way cool. The insert cover itself is somehow a part of
Lesley Coulson's
Sugar Tea Cups and
the photo of that work and the way the cover is put together
captures what little artistic sense I seem to have. There is a
flashback to the fifties and sixties and a tip o' the hat, as far
as I can tell, to Columbia Records and various artistically
inclined jazz labels of that period, liner notes of note (short
and sweet and written nicely by one Professor Justin Spear) and
beautifully done photos of the band members taken individually
(evidently supplied by Justin Keeton of Image-Boutique out of
Sheffield in the UK). Not only that, they carried the art phase to
an extreme by mimicking the classic Columbia Records label from
the sixties. Now, that
is
dedication (not to mention, good taste).
The taste isn't limited to the package, I am happy to say, and what the band produced on their last studio album (Harmonium) continues in fine fashion, though even more and better. Still there are the sounds that made them musically unique (the splotches of Strawberry Alarm Clock--- the jazzier side of the early phase, the flute--- an odd mixture of Satin Whale and a very small bit of Jeremy Steig, the vocals--- a male-female amalgamation of The Dirty Shames and The Peanut Butter Conspiracy in their softer moments) but they have stepped beyond. Gone is the underwater tonal quality on a few of Harmonium's tracks (which I rather liked), the sound cleaner and more aurally refreshing.
The
songs? Better than ever. Last
Broadcast kickstarts
the album, the rocking rhythm section set off nicely by the
layered keyboards and harmony vocals which have fast become the
band's trademark. The rocking gives way to the still percussive
but floating Step
Outside and
then the outstanding Morning
Haze,
the sounds approaching the cinematic and ethereal side of one of
my favorite bands of recent years, Ophelia
Hope (do
yourself a favor and check them out as well). Broken
Sleep is
what you might expect from a poppier and more rock-oriented
Singers
Unlimited (in
terms of sound and not presentation). Long
Highway adds
an eerie exotic feel, very close to what Ophelia
Hope might
very well do in some future phase, I'm hoping. We're not even
halfway through and I smell winner. The album continues along this
vein, each track solid, the sound solid, the feel solid. Give me
some black light posters, a little Thai Stick and a beer and I'm
happy. Actually, I don't smoke anymore, but if I did, Celeste
would
be a perfect choice for the turntable.
Speaking
of turntable, Melodic
is
making this available in four different packages, from straight
digital to vinyl to combinations. Now, I'm not one of these
purists who have to have everything on vinyl. I am perfectly happy
with my CDs or even digital files, if physical product is not
available, but on an album this good and this unique, even I
would
consider the vinyl option. For one thing, if they include the same
artwork, the pictures would be bigger and (hopefully) expanded in
size, a good enough reason alone. For those who claim vinyl
produces a warmer sound, that warmth would be well worth it. If
you go for the deluxe package, they even throw in a T-shirt and a
badge! It's like joining the Rin Tin Tin Club all over again!
You know what I think you should do? I think you should head over to The Soundcarrier's website to check things out, then boogie over to their MySpace page. There are good sounds both places and after listening you just might be able to make heads and tails out of my comments, words that only a few have been able to decipher. That would make you smart (in my world, anyway) and prove that you have a semblance of taste, something we all should strive toward.
And, seriously, if you live in Seattle, stop by Jive Time Records for a little vinyl shopping. The guys there don't know half as much as I do, but they try hard and, what the hell, you'll just end up wasting it on beer or food anyway. Shop there and at least you'll have something to take home to the wife or husband. Or, like me, to share with the dog.
Frank O. Gutch Jr.
Supporting the Indies Since 1969
