Thursday 12 February 2009

School of Seven Bells - ALPINISMS
























When I first received School of Seven Bell's debut album I was completely taken aback by the shear volume of their sound. School of Seven Bells is made up of twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza and ex Secret Machines guitarist Benjamin Curtis. Hailing from cultural center of the Earth ( or at least it seems that way at the moment) Brooklyn, School of Seven Bells are already becoming quite the cult hit.
Alpinisms has such a nostalgic feel. The distroted, reverbed, dechoed, guitar soundscapes, the vocal harmonies, and of course the drum machine takes you back to somehwhere in the mid eighties, when people really started experimenting with the new technologies that were being made available but has a completely contemporary feel to it. This combination of new and old comes together to make a really special album.
Hearing Alpinisms for the first time had the same effect as to the first time I heard the Cocteau Twins Blue Bell Knoll. I literally had to stop what I was doing and play the whole album... Then played it again. There have only been a few albums in my life time that have ahd that effect. A bold statement but my god the music will back it up. You just don't hear the sort of quality and emotion in music any more. They are on a huge tour that will see them play London's Cargo on the 26th of Feb supported by the wonderful Kyte. The tour will take them all over Europe ending back this way in support of Bat For Lashes. This is truly a great album and the artwork is stunning too.
Check track three 'Half Asleep.'

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