Easing in like a familiar old friend, the calm hypnotic bassline and drifting drums of ‘Slowing Time’ glides into view. Skimming like pebbles across a clear lake, a sedate pondering and earnest vocal breathes an evocative and simple prose; conjuring up images of pastoral walks in Autumn meadows and seeking solace by literary-rich brooks. Twinkling brightened glockenspiel and sad pinning melodica – a firm favorite of the folksters – trigger off a more jazzier noodling and upbeat instrumental section as the band breakout into a free-form 60s West Coast jam: this is the sound of Cambridge based quintet Fuzzy Lights.
Sharing the double A side is the more wistful folk balled, Another Safe Place. Originally a more dramatic and moody track from their 2008 debut, the re-recorded version is a delicate, relaxed country affair, graced with a female harmony and brushed lamented backing.
Blending together post-rock and measured assiduous folk, they produce catchy well-crafted atmospheric music, that sounds like its always been there.
23/5/2011
www.myspace.com/fuzzylights
[Rating:4]
