Laish // Obituaries
Weird folk pop. Promises much but let down in places by weak vocals.
Release Date: 25th March 2013
Laish mainman Daniel Green is busy fellow, being a promoter, radio presenter and core member of the Wilkommen collective. Perhaps he is spreading himself too thinly. Whilst this album is very good in places, there is a lack of cohesion, with elements being annoying and irritating.
The sound is generally but folkie but in the vein of Cohen, Cave, Tindersticks or even Tom Waites and Talk Talk rather than, say, Mumfords or Marling. With its pulsing bass and almost baritone vocals, opener “Obits” could be iLiKETRAiNS with added strings. “Warm The Wind” is more upbeat, musically at least, and could almost be the Bluebells or Wonderstuff at their most fiddle happy. "Carry Me” continues in the upbeat vein and is the best song here with bizarre lyrics of horses and penguins. Things go awry with “Visions”, Green’s vocals becoming whiney and thin. The title track reprises the opener in a more upbeat, almost music hall style, thankfully with a better vocal style and some cracking backing vocals.
And so the album continues, veering from inventive folk-pop to the grating. The musicianship of Green, Dan Harding, Patrick Lawrence, Emma Gatrill and Martha Rose cannot be questioned and I don’t wish to be harsh, as there is definite promise here but Green’s vocals and arrangements just don’t always work.
5/10 Pavlis
Laish // Obituaries
Folkwit, Released 25th March 2013
Laish mainman Daniel Green is busy fellow, a promoter, radio presenter and core member of the Wilkommen collective. Perhaps he is spreading himself too thin. Whilst this second album is very good in places, there is a lack of cohesion and some elements are annoying, almost like a novelty act.
The sound is generally but folkie but hinting at Cohen, Cave, Tindersticks or even Tom Waites and Talk Talk rather than, say, Mumfords, Bellowhead or Marling. With its pulsing bass and almost baritone vocals, opener “Obits” could be iLiKETRAiNS with added strings. “Warm The Wind” is more upbeat, musically at least, and could be the Bluebells. “Carry Me” continues in the upbeat vein and is the best song here with its bizarre lyrics of horses and penguins. Things go awry with “Visions”, Green’s vocals becoming whiney and thin. The title track reprises the opener in a more upbeat, almost music hall style, thankfully with a better vocal style and some cracking backing vocals.
And so the album continues, veering from inventive folk-pop to the irritating. The musicianship of Green, Dan Harding, Patrick Lawrence, Emma Gatrill and Martha Rose cannot be questioned and I don’t wish to be harsh, as there is definite promise here but Green’s vocals and arrangements just don’t always work.
5/10
Pavlis
