a r t i s t : Grouper
t i t l e : Cover The Windows And The Walls
d a t e : 2007
l a b e l : Root Strata / RS19
g e n r e : Avantgarde
r l s. d a t e : Jul/2007
t r a c k s : 07
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 47,3 MB
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- boomkat.com - I've never been able to contain my undying
love for Liz Harris's Grouper project. In merely three albums
(this vinyl-only beauty being the third) she has shot to the
top of my favourite artists list, and 'Cover the Windows and
the Walls' is perhaps her most accessible to date. A couple of
weeks ago I was chatting with someone about the wonders of
Grouper and he was convinced that the records owed a lot to
the Thames valley shoegazer scene, whereas I was babbling on
about Popul Vuh and the like. So I didn't see the shoegazer
reference then, on hearing this album it all became painfully
clear - this is Grouper's shoegaze record. Harris's wonderful
scene-setting debut album 'Way Their Crept' was mostly vocals,
and the followup 'Wide' began to incorporate guitar and even
piano into the tracks, but here almost every piece has
decomposed, feedback laden, almost drowned guitar sounds
underpinning them, creating a soup of electric noise not so
far removed from My Bloody Valentine's classic 'Loveless'.
Okay so mass appeal might not be right around the corner, but
this is breathtaking, heart trembling stuff - and even has
moments where you could (almost) sing along. The opening title
track is possibly one of the finest Harris has yet committed
to record, with the curving waves of guitar perfectly matched
against her unique vocals - still smothered in curls of
smoking noise and crumbling ambience. I find it hard to sum up
my feelings about her music in language, this is the sort of
record I can play and fall into a trance for the entire
duration, melting away into the bubbling lava of sound,
becoming enveloped in some of the most gorgeous and most
subtle harmonies this side of the spiritual plain. I won't say
any more save that this is a one time pressing of 300 copies
and is already sold out at the source, we have 30 copies left
and they're gonna go quick so PLEASE order now if you want to
secure yourself one. And why anyone wouldn't want to own
something like this is totally beyond me... so crucial and
without a doubt one of the albums of the year for me.
http://www.rootstrata.com/
http://yellowelectric.googlepages.com/grouper
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01-Cover The Windows And The Walls [05:49]
02-Opened Space [05:24]
03-Down To The Ocean [06:06]
04-Heart Current [04:47]
05-It Feels Allright [05:58]
06-You Never Came [05:36]
07-Follow In Our Dreams [02:50]
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36:30 min