Customer Reviews

Everlasting

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"Everlasting", from the master of poetic melancholy, Mr. Robin Guthrie, is
a timeless expression of love in its purest form. Far from being pretentious, this work of art speaks for itself. Four melodies that transport our senses and our spirit to a level of contact with the divine, the mistery of the sacred and the enigma of the absolute. With Guthrie's music we go to that place we once knew, before, very much before we were what we are now. A time when music was born out of love.

Robin Guthrie's 2007 four track instrumental EP was my first exposure to his solo work. Being only somewhat familiar with his work with the Cocteau Twins, I wasn't sure what to expect. Needless to say I was more than just a little pleased at what I heard.

"Bordertown" begins with gentle percussion, keyboard, and washes of guitar, building into a pulsing chorus structure provided by additional guitar and keyboard. The sound is orchestral, ocean-like, and strangely moving. "A Sigh Across the Ocean" opens with a suitably melancholy layering of guitars. The heavy reverb opens up the sound nicely. The mood here is meditative.

At just over three minutes, "Fountain" continues the contemplative tone of the prior track even with the addition of bass and drums. The reverb and delay on the guitars make them sound like bells from time to time, ringing out strongly. "Fountain" segues beautifully into the final title track. "Everlasting" fairly soars, feeling almost like controlled chaos near the climax when layers of distorted guitar wash in on top of the densely layered sound.

I find myself returning to this short work very frequently. Guthrie has carefully crafted this work so that each time I listen to it I notice something new. I recently picked up the full length CD "Continental," but that is another review. Fans of the Cocteau Twins will not be disappointed even without Elizabeth Fraser's ethereal vocals.