I’m finding it incredibly difficult to get motivated to write reviews these days. I mean, anyone can write 300+ words on any CD that they plonk in a stereo, but to actually write something interesting and entertaining takes skill and thought. It does become hard, however, when you’re faced with the same old soulless bullshit on a regular basis. Everything sounds the same right now – it’s become so bad that I have to use the same old formulaic pattern when writing reviews and the same old cliches comparing the same old bands. Then, every once in a while, a record comes along that is fresh and invigorating, breathing life into a world where music means nothing any more. It’s not that ‘The Plural of the Choir’ will change my life, but this is something that’s challenging, interesting and mature – a record that makes you think, almost drifting off with the jazzy interludes the Italians (and one American) create.
‘The Plural of the Choir’ suffers from none of those ridiculous ’emo’ genre restrictions that so many bands seem to tie themselves down to. I’m guilty of liking some of that stuff sometimes, but when someone comes along and forcibly rips up the rulebook and does things their way, you have to marvel at it. Since their last album, also released on Deep Elm, Settlefish have grown up. They’ve probably been listening to Appleseed Cast a little too, as the time signature changes and jazzy guitars often bear some reference to their former label peers. Tracks such as the opening ‘Kissing Is Choas’ sweep majestically from the haunting atmospherics of guitar feedback, through to Jonathon Clancy’s vocals, which inspire and drift, taking you on a musical journey. I’ve sat and listened to this album on repeat for hours and hours whilst thinking of how to pen this review, and I’ve never thought once to change it, or skip a track, God forbid switch it off.
The sprawling ‘Two Cities, Two Growths’, the mini-epic of ‘It Was Bliss!’ and the classic ‘Oh Well’ are stand out songs on a very well written and amazingly executed album. To be fair, most of the songs here probably deserve positive comments, but I’d rather just state that you should check it out and make your own judgements. If songs like ‘To The North’ don’t interest you, I’ll be very surprised. ‘The Plural of the Choir’ has inspired me to attempt to go out and find exciting new music again, rather than let it come and find me. And if music has the ability to help pull you out of a rut, then that surely has to be a massive compliment…
www.settlefish.com
Deep Elm
Paul