Starless & Bible Black - Shape of the Shape

It isn’t very often that a band comes along and instantly manages to draw the attention of the listener through originality and sheer intrigue. So when I listened to Starless and Bible Black’s Shape of the Shape through for the first time I wasn’t surprised to find myself once again disappointed.

To simply sum this album up with descriptions of the genres and styles this band utilises would be a false representation of the finished product. A Manchester based jazz/folk band with a psychedelic backdrop that incorporates the sweet vocal tones of French Hélène Gautier. However, it is not as interesting as it sounds.

The first minute of the first track ‘Say Donny Say’ coaxes you in with the teasingly appealing dark sound of growling synths, off-key piano notes and a subsequent subtle build up to an emotive succession of touching, sliding acoustic chords. This immediately dissipates however as inappropriately ‘jangly’ riffs cut through the atmosphere closely followed by Gautier’s lacklustre vocals. The starting track and consequently the whole album feels uneasy and unsure of it’s own agenda and this intro alludes to a vibe that is not there. It just can’t decide where it is. The whole thing feels like a western, sci-fi B-movie soundtrack. A track doesn’t seem to go by without the band feeling the need to throw in what seems like a synthesised snippet from an ‘outer limits’ episode…I would even go as far as to say that Gautier’s uninspiring yet inoffensive vocals are actually an unwelcome distraction from the at least melodic music and everything constantly seems to be in and out of atmosphere. The harmonies are bland and shallow but at least this is in keeping with the simplistic ideals and slow pace of the whole album.

However, to give Shape of the Shape it’s due, although it is not breaking any boundaries, it is secure in the knowledge that each chord is confidently strummed and each plucked note is allowed to resonate poignantly and fully with clarity and charm, with its simplicity and safe rhythm and timing keeping it grounded. It is easy to be over critical of safe music and after a few plays you forget to listen so intently for faults. The whole thing becomes background music, which is where it works best and believe it or not, I did find this harmless album to be more of a grower than I had first expected and even found myself tapping my feet along a few times. The whole thing feels like one long sound without anything distinctive coming to light but once it has admitted its own simplicity this is easier to accept and the album becomes more appealing because of this. This is shown towards the end of the album with tracks 6, 7 and 8 where the instruments feel more definably folk and the vocals are suitably and consistently haunting. Track 6 ‘Country Heir’ is the first track that allows a steady and welcome atmosphere that lets you glide through without having to process any unexpected jumps in style. The band finally seems to work together with a mutual understanding of the desired outcome. Moody guitars are no longer hindered by whiney riffs and understated, brooding slide guitars and simple, undemanding riffs finally give some well needed and deserved stability. This seems to continue through to the end of the album.

I feel the 9 minute track 5 ‘Les Furies’ also has to be mentioned, as this is the band’s greatest attempt at, and comes closest to being, original and successful in use of different styles. Synths are in sync to the rest of the music, tense, eager, aggressive build-ups achieve a climax where they have previously been left dead and the vocals even attempt something new with echoed French verses. The song implies a greater ambition to the band’s potential and actually leaves you feeling energetic in ratio to the rest of the lethargic contributions

Don’t get me wrong. The vocals are pleasant enough. The guitars are rhythmic and well timed. The whole album is made well and with care. But it is all just so ‘safe’. I was hoping for ‘America’ collaborates with ‘Mazzy Star’. I didn’t get it, although at a stretch of the imagination there are a very few instances where this almost happens. Still, if ‘safe’ is your thing, and you’re not looking for the next step in expanding your involvement in the avant-garde, you could do far worse than Shape of the Shape.



Overall this is a solid enough album with reliable instrumentals and harmless, nice vocals but it needs to decide exactly what it wants to be. Shape of the Shape is not a breath of fresh air but it is breathable nonetheless.

By Adrian Booth