Cougar Microbes

To the uninitiated pressing play on a Gregory and The Hawk album and hearing the beautiful serenading of Meredith Godreau may come as a surprise. This deliberately cloudy moniker is designed to avoid being pigeonholed in the “female singer/songwriter” bin.

It would therefore be lazy reviewing to say ‘Leche‘ sounds like Emiliana Torrini recorded underwater, or that it is as endearing as Soko without ever relying solely on cutesy nuances, or that it subtly captures Bat For Lashes eeriness…

The above statements are somewhat true but if you need a male example to justify this inclusion then I’m confident in saying that Godreau‘s songwriting sits comfortably next to any of Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy‘s output whilst displaying a more imposing vocal range. There is a spectral quality to her melodies that are almost disarming to the listener.

‘Leche‘ is an album equally suited for those times when it is raining outside and you just want to stare solemnly out of the window as the times when you decide it’s time to splash around in the puddles.  

With the aid of it’s subtle layers and emotional dynamics it deservedly earns it’s spot on the top albums list.

TRACKS:

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School Of Seven Bells are a band you must hear. Despite hailing from Brooklyn, the bands sound could easily be linked up with a series of minimalist electronica act gracing Northern Europe at the moment. A listen to their 2008 debut ‘Alpinisms’ evokes the glacial scenery of British duo Goldfrapp, the detached danceability of New Order’s and the emotional delivery and production values of Bat For Lashes.

What makes SVIIB unique is the combination of intricate melodies provided by the Deheza sisters and dashed sparingly across the tracks. ‘Alpinisms’ is an album that is representative of vast melodic landscapes rather than individual tracks and single material.

There is a feeling that the song writing process must have occurred in very organic fashion with the band not over elaborating and obsessing over their ideas so as to avoid diverting too far from their raw sketches. In contrast a lot of attention has been devoted to the production values of the album to excellent results.

In anticipation of their new album ‘Disconnect From Desire’ (due in 2010) the band released ‘The Deluxe Edition’ of ‘Alpinisms’ last month. This is a it is a good window into the bands thought process covering the original 11 tracks plus an additional 9 tracks that include alternate versions, new mixes and a live cut. It also helps to explain why Ben Curtis was both eager and willing to forsake Secret Machines to work on this exciting project.

TRACK:

School Of Seven Bells – Iamundernodisguise