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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth a Spin, October 27, 2005
Fires in Distant Buildings is my introduction to Gravenhurst - essentially the project of Nick Talbot - so I can't really comment on prior works like Black Holes In The Sand or Flashlight Seasons. I stumbled across it in my continuing quest for new music - when I heard reviewers drop names like Nick Drake, Elliott Smith and Jeff Buckley, my curiosity was piqued.
None of those are really what this record sounds like, though. Instead, a more vital comparison might be to the dark atmospherics of Songs:Ohia, especially on the tender ballad "Nicole" or the spacy, tribal beat of "See My Friends." However, where Jason Molina drew (and still draws) his influence from country and americana blues, Talbot finds inspiration in his own country (England). Several of the tracks here harken back to the golden age of shoegazer, sounding like a new Catherine Wheel. "Down River" for example has a ringing lead guitar, supported by a bass and minimalist percussion, building up over seven minutes into a droning rock number that packs a surprising amount of punch. Likewise "Animals" and "Beneath the Sea" both use echoed guitar chords (the former electric, the latter acoustic) under a soft layer of hum/drone much like the Wheel did. To add further creedence to the comparison, Talbot's vocals just SOUND like Rob Dickinson.
The song that stands out in the "hey, I'm a single!" kind of way is "Velvet Cell." It's got a cut time beat and punctuated guitar strumming that could fit in with any of the post-Joy Division ilk of the new millenium (Interpol, The Editors, et al), but even though its faster than most of the other tracks, it doesn't break the flow. And its reprise, which filters an instrumental version of the song through a dark mirror, provides kind of a neat coda.
The lyrics are about what you'd expect, given the downer atmosphere of the music. "Velvet Cell" seems to suggest the dark nature of humanity ("to understand the killer / I must become the killer / and I don't need this violence anymore / and now I've tasted hatred, I want more"). Likewise, "Cities Beneath the Sea" flatly decries an inability to appreciate beauty. The epic (10:21 long) "Song From Under the Arches" kind of summarizes the feel of the outsider lyrical standpoint when it says "we can't function outside of these dreams of suicide." Really, "Nicole" is the standout, with vulnerable (even if a little trite) lines like "from the moment we met / we let it get out of control" and "I want to jump / but if you push me / I'll hold on tightly." It may not be much, but it's still the warmest sentiment you're likely to find.
So... conclusions? It's an enjoyable work, and it makes me interested to hear his/their previous work. My only problem with it is that it's not really anything we haven't heard before. It's well executed, but not particularly distinctive in any real way. If you're an indie rocker who doesn't mind that (such as myself) provided there's quality to be found in the nuances of the performance (which there is), then this is certainly worth a listen. But if you like novelty and innovation and/or crave to be challenged, look elsewhere.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
great stuff, November 8, 2005
This band has been very eclectic. Nick Talbot is the main person in the band here. This is the fourth record and it is evolved music. This is atmospheric heavy rock. The song "Down River" is much like Nick Cave in his best days. "The Velvet Cell" recalls some of the earliest Lou Reed tracks. "Animals" is smooth rock. It's very reminiscent of some shoegazer and folk records of the past twenty years. This band is very literary. "Cities Beneath The Sea" recall Edgar Allen Poe. "See My Friends" is a cover of a Kinks song. Gravenhurst comes across as a very moody and smart band. This is something worth checking out. I look forward to the live show. --I have just seen them live. They are something like Belle & Sebastian or Ballboy. Cool.
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