Be Prepared to Take a Trip
author: J. Scott Watson
Yeah, I know -- with any "trip" reference, anyone familiar with their brilliant debut long-player, "Turn Left At Greenland," -- with its Beatlesque beauty and powerpop punch -- will assume that the Crowd Scene have entered their acid phase.
It's not that kind of trip.
It's not that shallow, nor as brief. It's a more mind-blowing trip, inward.
Because guitarist / vocalist Grahame Davies has assumed the lion's share of songrwiting since Greenland, my comments about the tunes will focus on him. [But don't sleep on "Which Way" by bassist/vocalist/songwriter Anne Rogers].
His catalogue of songs has consistently revealed a clever, thoughtful, frequently-playful, *bemused* observer of the world. But "Glossary" -- while still clever and thoughtful and wry -- is also deeply personal. When the first song begins with a stark piano, and simple acoustic guitar, and Davies nearly whispers about realizing "how big . . . .the small things in life," it's time to surrender and take the personal voyage with Mr. Davies.
Later, you move closer to the edge, finding yourself "over your head" with the singer. On "I Wouldn't Say I'm Sorry," the band, working behind a scratching, haunting loop, get as quiet and *low* as you can get. I don't mean "low" in the sense of "sad," but rather I picture the band actually crouched down, quietly sharing a private moment.
I think anyone familiar with Davies's high, muscualr tenor -- the guy can kick ass singing a wailing rocker -- has to do a double-take listening to such quiet, personal, ultimately intimate vocals.
Rogers is the perfect complement -- her bass always takes a song to unexpected places [you'll never hear the conventional, expected note -- it's as if she sees and hears the song through a different prism, and always colours the song with a shade you don't expect], and her voice remains a perfect mate with Davies's. On "Trick Photography," when Davies unleashes his tenor to hit plaintive high notes, she dips below him and grounds the song.
I'll be damned if this album doesn't have me writing about the songs and the intricacies of each. I'm much more prone to just hear the sounds and impressions of a record.
You should really buy this sucker and take your own trip with each of these songs. . . .
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*with complete glossary for squares
author: Joe Rogers
When I listened to the first track "Walk Up to the Heath", I realized that this album would not be more of the up-beat Pop that fueled their first album, "Turn Left at Greenland". This led to initial dissappointment, because I loved the lush harmonies and aggressive melodies of that album. But as I got to the end of the first track, I realized how calm I was; how caught up in the imagery; and how I was trying to take the lyrics to heart. As each track continued, I found myself deep in their view of the world and their reaction to it. There was no attempt to distract or impress with surprise hooks or over the top guitar solos. Just straight forward songs with beautiful melodies that fit perfectly from start to finish.
By taking their music to the simplest form, The Crowd Scene provide everyday stories that cause the listener to reflect on what it might mean to them. And isn't that really the point?
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