Velour 100 - For An Open Sky -EP- (c) 1999 Distant Sound Recordings
Artist....: Velour 100
Album.....: For An Open Sky
Type......: EP
Source....: CDDA
Tracks....: 04
Genre.....: Indie
Label.....: Distant Sound Recordings
Catalogue#: dsr 002
Encoder...: LAME 3.97
Quality...: VBR kbps / 44.1KHz / Joint-Stereo
URL.......: http://opuszine.com/music_reviews/review/velour_100_for_an_open_sky/
Tracklist:
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01 1863 05:01
02 Gathering 02:56
03 All Horizon 04:32
04 A Brighter Place 04:30
Total:24,1 MB / 16:59 min
Release Notes:
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A few years back, I was so thrilled to open the latest Tooth and Nail
catalog and see a little blurb for a brand new band called Velour100,
featuring the drummer from His Name Is Alive. I had only begun to get
into His Name Is Alive and was entranced by their quirky ambient pop.
I was growing tired of the increasingly punk-dominated Tooth and Nail
roster, and so I was filled with great anticipation for this band. And
they did not disappoint, releasing ôFall Sounds,ö which could probably
be the most sublime pleasure the label ever released.
Then they released the spotty ôOf Color Bright.ö I saw them at
Cornerstone was less than impressed, and I began to doubt. Was the
magic over? I had such high hopes for this band that promised to
inject a little of that 4AD magic into Christian music.
Well, IÆve regained a little faith with the release of ôFor An Open
Sky,ö the bandÆs new EP on Distant Sound Recordings. Some, but not
all. The gorgeous thing about ôFall Soundsö were all of the little
sounds that popped up, the gorgeous seques of rippling feedback that
sounded like the wind rustling leaves on the sidewalk. It was the
perfect combination of ambient and pop, like a 4AD-ized folk album.
ôFor An Open Skyö doesnÆt quite have that, but it seems a great deal
less subdued than ôOf Color Bright.ö All 4 songs have that hazy,
jangling guitar that you can find in every Velour song, accompanied by
quiet organs and gently brushed drums. Some electronics are used here
and there, but more as garnish than anything else.
The vocals, though, are as good as anything Velour has put out. At
times, theyÆre so lazy and dreamy as if to not even be there, even when
Trey Many sings. And at times, it seems a little too subdued, a little
too pleasant and demure to really capture the emotion of the song.
ItÆs somewhat reminiscent of early Sixpence None The Richer, before
Leigh developed an edge to her voice.
Even though the titles of the album and some of the songs suggest deep
blue skies, flowery fields, and walks down sun-bathed country roads,
this is a release better suited for late night listening or resting in
the shade, when you know you should get up but youÆre just too darn
lazy.