The Seventeenth Century
I discovered The Seventeenth Century courtesy of Halina and her team of devilish minions over at Glasgow PodcART a couple of weeks ago. I’ve tried emailing the band to see about buying a copy of their EP, but no response, so I ended up having to just rip it off MySpace. Still, I’m sure I’ll get the chance to make up for it in the future as I am pretty confident we will be hearing more from these lads over the next year or so.
People seem to be talking their folky-sounding acoustic indie with a liberal portion of electronica these days, so this sort of beautifully-conceived, gently swaying and rather sad music is appearing less and less on the iPods of your average skinny-jeaned hipster about town. This is a shame, because when it is done as well as this, however familiar we might be with the general approach to making music, stuff like this still makes for a genuinely lovely, affecting experience.
The lead vocals are reedy, but the choral backing on songs like Traffic give a fullness to the sound. The instrumentation is nicely managed, which creates a sound which is never too crowded. Also, the rhythm has a lovely, slow rise and fall to it which gives the songs their air of slightly indulgent sadness, somewhat like witnessing a grey, rainy morning in the hills, but all whilst sat comfortably inside with a nice cup of tea.
So sonically we may have heard this before, to a degree, but this is still extremely well done and really gorgeous listening. I await developments with considerable interest.
The Seventeenth Century – Mid October
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It’s only four songs long, so you can only have one download I’m afraid – I don’t want to take the piss – but here’s a splendid video of Traffic to make up for it. This is a really gorgeous song.
Oooh, this is right up my alley. I actually really like the lad’s voice, and the whole group sounds wonderfully “woody,” to use DC’s term. The songs are nice and long, too, with plenty of room to breathe. I’m listening to Upon Our Knees on their myspace right now and it’s lovely. Think I’ll get in line for an EP myself. Although I’ve no idea what’s up with the spectral ballroom dancers.
I don’t think it matters too much, C&B. Just enjoy the songs, they really are rather good.
Nice to see you out of the spam queue at long last.
I am hoping to get through to Glasgow on Sunday to see them, but it may be a long shot. Fortunately the excellent Euan has got them on a Trampoline lineup over the Festival, so I will definitely catch them there at the very least.
THREAD HIJACK:
Apologies, Toad, for borrowing this thread for a few minutes of yr time; I’m fairly sick at the moment & haven’t been in the mood to make calls or text. Plus, this kinda kills all me birds with one stone throw:
I have some friends from the States* traveling the UK at the moment (they met Jesus H. Foxx peeps on Tues/Weds) & on Sunday are in Edinburgh for 2 days. They’d like to go to the Meadows fest. @ JHF’s invite & I was wondering if Toad, Dylan &/or The Chuttle Brother would mind them latching on/being shown the sites/sounds Sunday/Monday? If you’re free, that is…
Let me know & I’ll pass on numbers etc.
*Adam is from the band The Smiles & Frowns, & he’s over with his wife Misty. They’ve already had a full on Fisk meeting so I’m happy to release them into the care of the Toad Army knowing that whatever you throw at them will come nowhere near as fucking odd/demented as Nick & his outpatient friend “Blakey”.
The excellent Euan?
does he make you call him this?
They are not confirmed yet – just asked them. Lets not proclaim me excellent quite yet!
and yes tom, i do, it applies to you too.
Do we have to address you as “Your Excellency”, your excellency?
yes. you do.
The Seventeenth Century really are rather good, aren’t they?
Some of the songs over on their MySpace are even better than the one here..
Well there is another one in particular on there which I love – Upon Our Knees – but I thought it was too similar to Traffic, and I wanted to show a bit of variation.
I love this band already. Traffic is smashin’
Sound a little bit like ‘the strange death of liberal England’ who alre also a fine band it has to be said. Will make an effort to catch them at Trampoline so get you finger out Euan
I see they are playing with Teitur on Sunday. Saw them\him at the cab on Monday with the lovely Emmily Scott. I recommend catching them too if anyone goes to king tuts.
I would like travel through for that one, but I doubt I am going to be able to make the time, unfortunately.
A lovely band with lovely songs. They have a second EP in the offing, too, so you can probably get one of them.
They will most definitely send you an EP if you ask – they would not allow us to pay for them when we asked, such nice boys they are.
Their new songs are slightly different in style and there’s definitely a bit of a progression in what they are doing… all good if you ask me.