Tabernacle – Word, Pioneer
This stuff is lovely: ghostly Americana with broken, desolate vocals full of heartbreak rather than rage, and the most bare-boned of backing. Yes, I know, I cover a lot of this stuff. In fact you may have heard fragments of this music before, as there is a connection with Dame Satan, whose album I reviewed very positively a couple of months ago. Basically, this is the work of Andrew Simmons of that band – it’s a project, not a band, as his MySpace page informs us.
I’d be pleasantly surprised if anyone reading this remember Lincoln, apart from Tim from The Daily Growl, but that is the immediate comparison which springs to mind. They were a London-based band who recorded two great EPs, Barcelona and Kibokin, and a great album, Crooked Smile, before disbanding roughly four years ago or so. The sounds were quite similar: with relaxed splashes of organ, a casual drum beat and lazily played guitars creating the atmosphere, augmented with care by banjo, some deep strings and the odd bit of what sounds like a melodica.
The distinctive character, however, comes from the tentative, slightly reedy male vocal and the gorgeous female support which decorates it. There is a sincere yearning to the vocal sound which makes this EP sound just a little desperate at times, with the warmth of the female more mocking and tantalising than comfortable. It is the voice of the slightly malevolent fairy you think you glimpse in the reeds as you slowly drown, who may be the one to save you, or a jilted spirit who has lured you to your death out of vengeance – you’re never quite sure.
In some senses I’d say that this record needs a little patience. It starts quite slowly, with the excellent Memphis clocking in at a stiflingly unhurried seven minutes. The pace picks up later, but it this does give things a slowish start, and many of the songs themselves follow this lead. It grips you, this EP, though, just in a paralysed and uneasy way rather than a manically excited one. It makes me slightly uncomfortable, but I really like it.
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Lincoln – Great Wall of China Just because they were really good.
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this is seriously gorgeous stuff.
i like this
Lincoln….i think i used to go drinking with one of them, around 5 years ago, friend of a friend type thing…..might even have a copy of the album in my flat somewhere…..i’ll have to try and dig it out!
Memphis is soooooo good.
oh and i love the art work
Good stuff Mr. Toad, and yeah I see the Lincoln similarities, especially in the vocals. I’ve been waiting for a Lincoln substitute for years, so this may be the one. Though Fireworks Night come close. Have you heard them?
Euan, agreed on all counts!
Tim, I don’t know about substitute, that seems a little mean, but there are definite similarities here and there.
Oh, and I do know FIreworks Night – I bought their last EP – I wasn’t overly taken with it though, although it was there or thereabouts.
Hi, Toad readers. This is Andrew of Tabernacle. If anyone wants to buy this e.p., it is available. The art is by Aimee Shapiro, a San Francisco-based artist. Brendan from my band Dame Satan did the design. I’m going to check out the band you guys are talking about, because I’ve never heard of them or, to my knowledge, heard them.
Thanks for the kind words, Matthew.