Trembling Bells are Fucking Amazing
Mark my words people, you’ve been warned. When I first heard this album I pretty much brushed it off as somewhat over the top baroque folk. The next time I listened I found myself thinking ‘What the fuck, really, is this? What the fuck do they think they’re doing, this isn’t the seventies.’ And then I was hooked.
So, glib and derogatory remarks aside, I present the Trembling Bells. I was passed their album by Ruth from The Bowery, who has booked an Edinburgh date for them for the 20th February. And having listened to their album about a million fucking times now I just can’t shake that state of bewildered, joyous fascination. It’s bizarre, it’s a little bit mental, and it’s absolutely brilliant.
It’s like a madly over the top version of the kind of psych-folk that was around in the sixties and seventies, like Liege & Lief (yes, I know I always mention this album) by Fairport Convention meets Frank Zappa. It’ll be out on Honest Jon’s in April, I’ve heard the whole thing, I’m itching to leak it but I can’t, and I cannot emphasise how much you all need to hear this. It’s nuts, it’s out of it’s tiny little mind, and it’s absolutely fucking amazing. I cannot stop playing this album at the moment.
Trembling Bells – When I Was Young
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Trembling Bells – I Took to You
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Wow, this reminds me a lot of the Pentangle, I dig it!
Oh Toad, you tease. This is brilliant. A quick google and this post is the main place on the whole internet with Trembling Bells songs – no myspace, nothing on last.fm, nothing on Honest Jon’s site, so cheers!
Now I know that the gig at Cafe Oto on 14 April with Trembling Bells and Benjamin Wetherill will be doubly amazing…
Ach, I’m an idiot. There is a myspace. YOU LINKED TO IT. I’m off…
That’s about where I am right now after hearing these two tracks.
Right there with you, brother.
I hope I get to the point you’ve reached in regards of appreciating these guys, Matthew, and if that happens I will delightedly eat my hat with some relish. However, based solely on these two tracks, that point is some distance over the horizon.
Dylan – it’s definitely idiosyncratic enough that I think a lot of people will hate it, actually. It won’t be one of those ambivalent ones, the sound is just too distinctive, so I think they are going to have to brace themselves for a few right slaggings and a few knee-quivering eulogies.
I’m hearing a lot more Fairport Convention than Zappa, but I like Fairport Convention a lot more than I like Zappa so that’s not really a problem for me. The guitar playing in particular is pure Richard Thompson. I like it, it’s good, but so far I’m not really hearing the madcap “out of its tiny little mind” angle.
OK, so I went to their myspace and The End Is The Beginning Born Knowing definitely shows the Beefheart side of things. That’s a mental tune, with brilliant horns, and it sounds nothing like Fairport Convention or Pentangle.
Man, I was there with Toad – I listened to When I Was Young first & was immediately put in mind of that shrill, warbling ear rape The Power of Love & dismissed it as bunk.
However, as I pootled about the myspace player looped & after a bout 3 plays I was hooked.
I adore the soaring vocals & entirely understand where this is coming from & where it’s going to.
Brilliant, awkward, seering stuff.
aaaaah, it’s hard being this good!
Sounds like it could be something off The Wonder Years soundtrack. I do like the music that is going on there – but I cannot stand her voice. Infact, much like Ja Rule I fear that their singer may be a perennial song ruiner.
turn it off….!!!
For the record:
I love folk
I love Fairport Convention (Liege & Lief would be in my top ten of all time)
I love Richard Thompson
this is just overblown pish….anything good that lies in the music and just swamped by that voice.
I very seriously doubt that baroque folk sounded anything like this!!!
i need to lie down
I bet they haven’t been compared to Ja Rule before.
i bet they haven’t been compared to Fairport Convention before!!!
Just discovered the record today. This is great. No question. As for Lavinia Blackwell’s voice.. it’s like Sheila MacDonald with a big spoonful of opera. And that’s a GOOD thing.
Wish I could edit that spelling. Apologies Shelagh!
this is the HOT SHIT.
Trembling Bells are touring next month (August) in the following places; TUES 18th NOTTINGHAM / Chameleon, WED 19th CAMBRIDGE / Portland Arms FRI 21st – AARHUS, Denmark / Jazzjuice Festival SUN 23rd – GREEN MAN / S.Wales MON 24th LANCASTER / Yorkshire House TUES 25th EDINBURGH / Electric Circus WED 26th GLASGOW / Stereo
Absolutely brilliant album, Carbeth. Can’t wait to see them live.
They’re in Lancaster on the 24th August:
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/55091
I know what you mean, at first it’s a bit of a mess but it grows and then it does indeed become fucking amazing.
Willows of Carbeth is a timeless timeless classic….