Artist.......: Contriva
Album........: Separate Chambers
Label........: Morr Music
Genre........: Indie
Catnr........: MM 72CD
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: lis-20-2006
str.date.....: 000-00-0000
quality......: VBR/44,1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: www.morrmusic.com
track title time
01. Good To Know 04:04
02. Unhelpful 04:02
03. Before 04:12
04. Say Cheese 03:36
05. Bluebottle 04:27
06. Florida-Lay By 03:16
07. Centipede 08:21
08. Number Me 03:18
09. Concrete Sleepers 03:54
10. No One Below 04:10
11. I Can Wait 04:39
Runtime 47:59 min
Size 68,1 MB
Release Notes:
Certain styles of music seem to thrive on their
lithe spontaneity, hinting at a recording process
that springs enthusiastically and fully formed from
the particular musicians creative core. Yet, as is
often the case, it is these very records that are
the hardest to achieve - with the outwardly simple
requiring the most diligent and regimented
songwriting skills so as to prevent memorable
melodies and infectious instrumentation becoming
swamped in production. Contriva's new album
'Separate Chambers' for Morr Music passes this test
with flying colours... Comprising the accumalitive
skills of Masha Qrella, Max Punktezahl, Rike
Schuberty and Hannes Lehmann, Contriva certainly
has a glowing heritage to build upon - with their
scented breed of addictive indiepop utterly at home
amongst the Morr Music cabal. Opening with a thaw
of acoustic guitar, the album's introductory piece
'Good To Know' establishes a definite melancholic
streak - as the delicate melody is submerged an ivy
creep of ticking percussion that peaks without any
need for needless crescendos. Moving on from here
Contriva immediately puncture the introspective
stance pf 'Good To Know' with the thrumming clatter
of 'Unhelpful' - wherein a shimmering guitar melody
is buffeted by a spiraling fusion of drums, chiming
chords and squalled EFX to produce a sound that is
perched somewhere between shoegaze, post-rock and
all out indie goodness. Just as you're coming to
the assumption that Contriva have shunned the overt
use of vocals, 'Before' arrives with some supine
lexicon from Qrella - bringing with it a distant
and icy charm that juxtaposes perfectly with the
spiked indie compositions beneath. To say it's a
whole lung-full of fresh air is an
understatement... Elsewhere, 'Say Cheese' is a
soft-centered flush that sounds not unlike a lost
Broadcast track, 'Centipede' is a leggy gem
brimming with indiepop sensibilities, whilst
'Number Me' rattles along with its Smiths badge
displayed with pride. Closing on the 21st Century
torch song of 'I Can Wait', Contriva have produced
an album that never underestimates the power of pop
- but laces it throughout with lush
instrumentation, melancholy atmospherics and a
smattering of evocative vocals. Magic.