Not so much a band as a collection of musicians who've come together in the studio to reinterpret a set of other artist's songs, The Hope Blister is described by 4AD records as "...sort of a sequel to This Mortal Coil." It is also a welcome return to the studio from label founder Ivo Watts-Russell.
The music harks back to the old school of 4AD bands, with strong female vocals over an ethereal sound-scape. This Mortal Coil featured a large collection of musicians, but this is a smaller group. The majority of the playing comes from Laurence O'Keefe (bass guitar), Audrey Riley (cello), Chris Tombling and Leo Payne (violins), Sue Dench (viola) and Ritchie Thomas (saxophone and drums). The lead vocals come from the very talented Louise Rutkowski (one of the Rutkowski twins involved in later This Mortal Coil recordings); she is supported by a range of backing vocalists. While her vocals aren't quite as spine-tingling as label-mate Lisa Gerrard, nor as world-weary as Kristin Hersh, her voice is well suited to the music and her inflections show elements of both of these other singers. The other musicians bring such a range of sounds to the mix that it is difficult to believe most of this was created by such a small range of instruments. Although this is a sparse record, with the strings and bass guitar dominating, it feels like there is more there than there actually is. This approach certainly works in the producer's favor and the listener is drawn in without being overwhelmed with sonic intricacies.
The first track up, 'Dagger,' is also featured on this year's 4AD compilation Anakin and is the most immediate and commercially mixed offering on the album. Originally by Neil Halstead (currently of Mojave 3), this song could be a successful single if things worked out properly; however, this is not a radio-friendly recording overall and success is never guaranteed in such a fickle industry. Other tracks offer a variety of interpretations of some of the producer's chosen songs. For example, Brian Eno's "Spider And I" is covered with an abundance of treble provided mainly by the violins and viola and some of the highest pitched vocals on the album. I was intrigued by the track named "Is Jesus Your Pal," another melancholy song among many such songs on this album. Musically it is a dark, foreboding piece with a droning string section underpinning the work, almost accusatory vocals, and sounds like pneumatic drills crossing with ringing bells hiding in the background of the mix. It will also surely intrigue those who enjoy exploring the ambiguities of lyrics:
Is Jesus your pal?
Do you call on his name?
When your conscience is shivering
Do you need someone too?
Just like those people who
Find peace in someone's promises
You sure don't need my promises
This is yet another interesting release from 4AD, and while it is certainly artistically stronger than most releases, I am still left slightly dissatisfied. Too many of these arrangements are self indulgent. Nevertheless, it is still a good album to kick back and relax to, and is hopefully a hint of something slightly more focused to come from this group in the future.
4 tocks
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