Customer Reviews

Disconnect From Desire (Dig)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

On their second album, School of Seven Bells aims for a more listener friendly brand of mystical dream pop that bridges the gap between The Cocteau Twins and Stereolab. "Disconnect From Desire" offers up a solid and sometimes spectacular musical journey that should provide the band a deservedly wider audience.

Sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza showcased their marvelous vocal gifts on the group's well received debut album, and this time they have a tighter and more cohesive collection of songs to strut their pipes on. Ably backed by guitarist Benjamin Curtis, the Deheza sisters lend their ethereal voices to a number of instantly appealing and surprisingly catchy tunes such as the opening track "Windstorm", the more grounded and infectious "I L U", the commanding "Joviann" and the uptempo and soaring "Bye Bye Bye". But if the band has tempered its stream of consciousness/free form style for a more controlled and radio ready sound, there's still enough ambitious and unbridled creativity on display here to cement their indie cred.

If "Disconnect From Desire" is hampered by anything, it may be that the Deheza sisters are so good at what they do that sometimes it's almost too much of a good thing. The band constantly soars to such lofty heights lyrically and musically that at times you wish they could come down to earth a little more often. For all the greatness that abounds here, the album may seem at times to be just a little too pristine and tasteful, while lacking in a certain playfulness and fun. Still, that's a minor quibble for an album that certainly ranks as one of the year's most listenable treats.

Cocteau Twins meets Dead Can Dance meets Peter Murphy meets Deluxe. I might add a little Bel Canto, but it's not necessary. If you like anything on the 4AD label, you will love SVIIB! The vocals are mesmerizing, harmonic, and beautiful. The music is retro with a new flavor triggering lucid dreaming of days long past and memories fondly kept. Lyrically, the trio delivers. Interesting introspection and interpretation of how we survive this journey called life. All together, the music is compelling. It's intrusion is comfortable and you'll be hard pressed to keep it out of mind. This is frankly one of the best bands to emerge in perhaps a decade. No band I can think of presents a more unique sound today. I highly recommend SVIIB, but be warned, you'll kill for more.

School of Seven Bells really break out with this great follow up album to Alpinisms. I find the songs to be just as crisp and unique as those on their debut, and although it lacks a real standout song such as "Face to Face on High Places" or "Half Asleep", it's a more concise and 'to-the-point' album. It's every bit as good, if not better, than Alpinisms. While the songs are mainly backbeats and synth mixed with vocal melodies, the product is amazing studio sound. Never seen them live, but I am this coming September. I'll be interested to see how they sound. Regardless, this is a great listen.

i have to say i came across to find this group, but i was not looking for, its great, love the sound, the vocals. very 4AD. like the great groups that recorded for that label. the only song that is a BIG miss step, and it is awful track 1. windstorm, what a bad way to start this cd off. the remix is so much better. anyone who hears this first track, might not want to hear the rest of the cd as i almost did. If you track this cd. start with track 2. how did this group think to start this cd off with this bad, and awful track? the rest is perfect joy to your ears......enjoy. cant wait till the next cd. love it. Please start your cd off with a great track, not with that awful noise of a song....it was bad...almost made me not want to buy your cd. Put your best upfront.

Hypnotic production, beautiful & poetic melodies. Though I very much enjoyed their first album, D.F.D. is, overall, much superior work. I loved this cd, which, along with B.Perry's ARK, is one of the few great ones this year...

School of Seven Bells makes the perfect link between early 90s' Brit-pop and tecno.. Two of my favorite generes. I'm also a huge 60s-70s classic rock fan. I love these girls and I love this album. Yes the first album had a bit more, stuck in my head forever tunes, but this one focuses on a little more trance and electronic grooves. Almost perfect and I love it!!! Keep making em'..

I think this album is a wonderful progression from their previous album. It seems people expect artists to continue to give them more of the same, however, I like it when artists give you something a little different each time (sometimes way different)!

I have listened to this album at least 5 times in the last 24 hours...yes, I like it that much! If you want to hear the 1st one, by all means, put it on. But if you want something new, try this...why compare? It seems people always have to make a choice as to which one they like "better." Why not like them both for what they are?

I'm hooked on this group. I feel they are one of the most refreshing new groups that have come out for sometime now.

I find their musical very very healing and uplifting...boy is that a welcomed sonic experience these days!

Wow. This CD is great. I predict great things for this band. Can't wait for the next one. Excellent songs and production job.

"Disconnect From Desire" kicks off with the glorious harmonies of Alejandra and Claudia Deheza in what sounds like a loop which will reappear throughout "Windstorm". The songs are melodically catchy and lyrically expansive. Benjamin Curtis's beats feel more natural this time around, making this album a more accessible, assured and consistent effort than their debut CD "ALPINISMS" (which I happen to love) that served as an excellent template of their sound which has evolved beautifully with this record. I should note that the one element that's played down a bit on "Disconnect" is the world pop aspect, so appealing on "ALPINISMS".
Highlights include the uplifting "Windstorm"; the elastic electronica of "Heart Is Strange"; the lovely "ILU" with guitars reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine; "Joviann"'s gorgeous vocal melody line and heavenly lead guitar; more MBV noise segueing into the breezy and buoyant "Bye Bye Bye" and the dreamy last song "The Wait" with it's stately bells. Ring in the new, baby!

School of Seven Bells (SVIIB) have returned with another album of hazy dream pop that recalls artists such as My Bloody Valentine and Beach House (albeit with brisker tempos). In short, the album pays off due to the band's previously demonstrated strengths of unconventional melody construction and hyper-modern rhythm tracks, but also somewhat limited in terms of its overall sonic palette.

Once again, the most distinctive element of SVIIB's music continues to be Alejandra & Claudia Dehaza's vocals. Now, I've never been to a military air show, but the duo's singing gives me a pretty good idea of the event's appeal: Identical fighter planes executing daring, audacious maneuvers tightly in sync with one another. Likewise, as on Alpinisms, the pair continues to employ harmonized vocal melodies that rise, fall, and plateau in tandem with one another at unpredictable intervals.

Despite these intriguing qualities, however, the very features that allow the Dehaza's vocals to stand out from many other artists simultaneously create problems for sustaining the listener's interest. This is an issue attributable not merely to band's singers, but also to the general similarity of the songs' arrangements, which consist most often of a gentle wash of synths and electronic beeps, dance-y drum beats, and unobtrusive riffing from guitarist Ben Curtis. That's not to say SVIIB's industrial-lite approach to song construction isn't satisfying, as the band continues its flirtations with the en vogue subgenre of dance rock. Tracks such as "Heart is Strange", "Dust Devil", and "Camarilla" all feature synths and programmed beats that are similar to artists such as LCD Soundsystem and YACHT.

Also concerning the album's arrangements, one way in which Disconnect does differ from its predecessor involves Curtis' increased presence as a guitarist. While his playing on Alpinisms was parsed out thinly over the record, his guitar work appears both more often and more prominently this time. As someone who's a big fan of The Secret Machines, this change represents a welcome development in that it that serves as a healthy reminder of just what excellent contributions Curtis is capable of in this area. Likewise, the chunky riffing on "Babelonia" and "Joviann"'s surgically precise leads are clearly reminiscent of his work on the first two Machines albums.

Perhaps the most joyous moments on the record occur on opener "Windstorm", which begins with a chirpy keyboard riff that proceeds to add lead vocals, then drums, before eventually piecing the song's verse, chorus, and introductory motif into an interlocking round before each going their separate ways.

In closing, we ask, "Does Disconnect From Desire represent forward progress since the release of Alpinisms?" Probably not, but that's really a harsh criticism either. While the homogeneity of Disconnect `s sound may tune the listener out somewhat, the band's debut offered a greater number of intriguing deviations from the standard SVIIB's formula, such as the Latin inflected percussion on "Iamundernodisguise" and "Prince of Peace", the more rhythmically relaxed "For Kalaja Mari", or best yet, the slow, unsettling lumber of "White Elephant Coat".

School of Seven Bells still exhibit a lot deal of individuality in their song ideas, but if they go any more Borg on us the next time around, they could be in deeper trouble.