Trembling Bells: The Constant Pageant (Fuse/Border)

 |   |  <1 min read

Trembling Bells: All My Favourite Mistakes
Trembling Bells: The Constant Pageant (Fuse/Border)

This Glasgow quartet fronted by the powerful folk-vocals of Lavinia Blackwall have previously delivered folkadelia but right from the ringing guitars of this, their third album, they have moved more firmly into the psychedelic rock area where Celtic hippies roam wind-swept moors and have anthemic Jefferson Airplane and Fairport Convention turned up to 11 on their ghetto blasters.

New guitarist Mike Hastings brings some penetratingly sharp fuzz to his solos (All My Favourite Mistakes could have dropped off the first Moby Grape album) and in places – the heroic Colour of Night with horns, the ale-house revelry of Cold Heart of Mine – this has some of the chest-swelling that bagpipes and a wee dram can induce.

The first half is an almost breathless rush of strident, folk-flavoured rock (“these are revolutionary times” wails Blackwall like Maddy Prior channeling Grace Slick on the fist-pumping Where Do I Go From You?) but after the thrilling clatter of Otley Rock Oracle (Steeleye Span-meets-the Doors and a mad jazz band) things rest up a little.

Goathland is a stately ballad with trumpet, To See You Again is almost Fifties pop and Torn Between Loves is musically minimal folk-rock (but rather dire).

This should come with a health warning and by being so musically busy will not be to many people's taste. But you can't turn away. If you do they might clock you.

Like the sound of this? Then check out this

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Music at Elsewhere articles index

Various Artists: The Lennon and McCartney Songbook (EMI)

Various Artists: The Lennon and McCartney Songbook (EMI)

While there have been quite a number of such compilations in the past interest alights on this one in particular because it has been pulled together by EMI New Zealands in-house memoryman Bruce... > Read more

Las Kellies: Suck This Tangerine (Fire/digital outlets)

Las Kellies: Suck This Tangerine (Fire/digital outlets)

Elsewhere takes its self-imposed mandate to guide you elsewhere quite seriously, so here we introduce this Argentinean duo of Cecelia Kelly (guitars, bass, vocals) and Silvina Costa (drums,... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

THE SOUND OF THE PAST COMING ALIVE: The Whittaker's Musical Museum on Waiheke

THE SOUND OF THE PAST COMING ALIVE: The Whittaker's Musical Museum on Waiheke

The journey takes less than an hour from downtown Auckland, but at its end you have stepped back in time. Here the sounds of the 19th century fill the air: the rich swell of notes from a... > Read more

Elsewhere Art . . . Ringo Starr

Elsewhere Art . . . Ringo Starr

It seems harmless fun to make up things like Beatles albums or post parodies of academic articles about pop music. But every now and again people take something at Absurd Elsewhere seriously,... > Read more