Elly Roberts reviews
Guillemots: Through The Windowpane
Distributed by
Polydor
- Released: July 2006
- Rating: 10/10 PLUS
Fortune favours the brave. Guillemots win.
Daring Brummie Fyfe Dangerfield and international cohorts boldly go where
few bands would venture, with the possible exception of Aussie outfit The
Sleepy Jackson.
Through The Windowpane is nothing short of a sonic masterpiece –
adventurous, exquisite, eloquent, melodic, and yes, even pompous in parts,
though it never borders on the experimental. This isn’t just any old album;
this is art, full of confidence which is both breathtaking and staggering.
It’s the unashamed confidence that impresses most. Unfairly dubbed
‘eccentrics’, Guillemots bring together differing musical experiences from
Brazil – Mc LorD maGrAO on guitar, Canada – Aristazabal Hawkes on bass and
the Scottish highlands – Greig Stewart on drums, they have created a
multi-sonic opus that includes haunting ballads – the simple Blue Would
Still Be Blue being the most effective (showcasing Dangerfield’s
vocal mastery) to thumping complex beats such as the title track and
sizzling 60’s Motownesque Trains To Brazil.
Also key to its undeniable beauty is Dangerfield’s cultured and flexible
falsetto. Production is another highlight, from the whopping 11 minutes 40
seconds of epic closer Sao Paulo with its complex structure and
explosive mid-section blasts and cacophonous crescendo, where they’ve
adopted the Spectorish wall of sound, also found on We’re Here and
joyous Annie, Let’s Not Wait.
On the mellower end, they’ve written heartfelt lyrics, some a bit baffling
to the heart wrenching and atmospheric If The World Ends which would
fit a reprise to the orchestral opener Little Bear.
Through The Windowpane is outstanding in every department, showing the
imaginative prowess of a band with a dazzling future.
The only foreseeable problem Guillemots have, is difficult album number
two – until then, enjoy their awesome debut – a timeless wonder.
The full list of tracks included are :
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2008.
