two "dreampop" albums for january 17

2014 in music

Alcest: Shelter
(January 17, 2014)

Alcest is a sonically indulgent project based upon the principles of simplicity and wonder. They are French, and for those given to dreamy fantasy imagery and lush washes of colorful sound, they could just be your ticket to nirvana (lower-case, that is). Alcest, interestingly enough, was formerly a "black metal" band formed by a trio of musicians, but since 2001, the "group" has been one of those interesting phenomenon of this century, in that it is composed of only one member. He calls himself Neige, and delivers multiple layers of guitar (both acoustic and effects-drenched electric), as well as keyboards, bass and vocals. The vocals are sung, appropriately enough, in French (with one exception here), and they translate into dream reveries of the sea, the night, the soul wandering, etc. In other words, they might as well be in French, so ultimately this is rather a positive thing. (Neige sings so softly you can’t really tell what he’s saying anyway.)

Actually, the group is now officially a duo, since a fellow called Winterhalter plays drums and percussion. The sonic trip is all Neige, however, who has progressed away from any dark metal sources to reach for the light of the sun. In a way, this music reminds me of the sound of old Yes albums like Fragile, though the shimmering pointillism of U2 a la The Unforgettable Fire is a reference point as well. All resemblances are purely textural and (dare I say) spiritual, as Alcest’s aspirations seem to be to transport the listener to soundscapes of aural wonder. There are strong and simple melodies here, that help build the scaffolding upon which Neige layers his impressionistic palette of sounds. (In places, Alcest has added some strings, and even a choir, but they blend so seamlessly they're hardly noticed.)

Personally, I think Shelter is quite a lovely album, though I can imagine some listeners might feel overly engulfed in such a sonic soufflé. For others, it’s a perfect soundtrack for an hour’s magic trek aboard one’s couch. I say check it out. Pourquoi pas?

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Neige.
1. "Wings"
2. "Opale"
3. "La nuits marche avec moi"
4. "Voix Sereines"
5. "L’eveil des Muses"
6. "Shelter"
7. "Away"
8. "Délivrance"

Limited Edition 2CD Bonus Track
9. "Into the Waves"

Personnel

 Alcest
 Neige - vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, glockenspiel, arrangement
Winterhalter - drums, percussion

Additional musicians
 Amiina – strings
Hildur Ársælsdóttir – violin
Neil Halstead – vocals
Billie Lindahl – choir, vocals
Edda Rún Ólafsdóttir – viola
Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir – violin
Sólrún Sumarliðadóttir – cello

 

Warpaint: Warpaint
(January 17, 2014)

 

Is this what one calls "post-rock"? I suppose that particular appellation is only as meaningful as the people using it, and for the most part, such labels are mere handles for writers and critics to have words to talk about sounds. But Warpaint (the band and the album), much like Alcest (above) eschew a lot of the verse/chorus structures that we associate with traditional pop songs, focusing instead on texture and mood. Make that lots of mood. Now, that isn’t a criticism, but merely an observation of a general trend in the post-millennial "alternative" universe.

More importantly, Warpaint is a band and a very good one: a female quartet from Los Angeles who thrive on soft, seductive textures and dreamy vocals/lyrics to conjure up their siren-seductive sounds to put one in a dream within a dream. Lead vocalist Emily Kokal barely floats over melodies that seem to haunt the songs rather than inhabit them, while the rest of group interlocks on velvety grooves that seem to flow from a collective unconscious.

This is really lovely stuff, I think, and I’m very happy that there are bands of musicians out there experimenting with shifting waves of perception. I suppose one could find Warpaint either provocative or boring, depending on one’s preconditions, but when their songs reach a gentle hook as in their single "Love Is to Die," or when their spirits seem to come alive as in the closer, "Son," this dream-pop collectivism seems to bear living, waking results.

From what I have read, and listening confirms this notion, much of Warpaint was constructed from group improvisations, largely at sound-checks and rehearsals. That such ego-less interplay can result in surprisingly structured pieces is something we’ve known since the ‘60s, and I think that it’s good that many young musicians are rediscovering this process. For my favorite thing about Warpaint is probably that it is a true band album, every member seemingly contributing equally to the whole. As to whether you will like it, that will depend on how attracted you can be to the quasi-Lynchian subconscious aura that the group seems to engender. Personally, I think its beautiful, though I will admit that such dreamscapes can flow on too long. But hey, that’s why we’ve got the Swans, right?

Track listing 
 All songs written and composed by Warpaint.

1. "Intro"
2. "Keep It Healthy"
3. "Love Is to Die"
4. "Hi"
5. "Biggy"
6. "Teese"
7. "Disco//Very"
8. "Go In"
9. "Feeling Alright"
10. "CC"
11. "Drive"
12. "Son"


Personnel
 Warpaint
 Emily Kokal - vocals, guitar, synthesizer
Theresa Wayman - guitar, keyboard, vocals, drums
Jenny Lee Lindberg - bass, vocals
Stella Mozgawa - drums, guitar, keyboards, vocals

Technical personnel
 Flood – production, recording, mixing
Warpaint – production, recording, mixing
Nigel Godrich – mixing (3, 9)
Sam Petts-Davies – mixing assistant (3, 9)
Drew Smith – recording
Justin Smith – recording
Cecil – recording, mixing
John Catlin – mixing
Stephen Marcussen – mastering

 

Hey! Send anything about your
favorite music from 2014
(or any other year) to:

peteywest@yahoo.com

- petey