a r t i s t : Cloudland Canyon
t i t l e : Lie in Light
d a t e : 2008
l a b e l : Kranky
c a t : KRANK117
s o u r c e : Vinyl
g e n r e : Psychedelic Rock
r l s. d a t e : Apr/2008
t r a c k s : 07
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 59,3 MB
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Cloudland Canyon deliver on the promises of a kraut-rock epic
hinted at by their previous releases with their full length
debut on kranky. The album traverses a breadth of sounds,
embracing funky treadmill grooves, swelling synthesizer baths,
and bucolic psych jaunts.
Between their Silver Tongued Sisyphus EP and their
collaboration with Lichens on Holy Mountain, it was obvious
big things could be expected from this duo. On those releases,
it felt as though Cloudland Canyon were holding in the reigns,
and giving us merely a taste of where their sound could go.
Here Simon and Kip let loose and discharge their fullest noise
yet.
"Krautwerk" begins with a swath of beautifully textured drones
and synth washes that we've come to know these guys for, but
soon ramps into a full-on groove living up to the song's
title. Understated bass and percussion intermingle with
squealing and wah'ed guitar perfectly. The clear and upfront
vocal chants are a welcome addition to Cloudland Canyon's
sound, which previously featured very little and over-effected
voice. The track's beat never gets stale and comes to an end
appropriately.
After the vibrant "White Woman," we get the obviously
Cluster-inspired "You & I." A steady analog drum machine beat
holds down the repeated shift between descending synthesizer
sweeps and indiscernible but catchy vocalizations. YouÆre kept
nodding until the tempo is drug to a snails-pace and the song
is overtaken by an intoxicating waver and subtle distortions.
While hard to pick just one, "Heme" is the stand-out track on
this record for me. After two minutes of soaring through the
clouds, we're gently let down into a pasture where delicate
keyed and plucked lines sift through the grass and into the
ears. While this is perhaps the lightest moment on the album,
it is also the most sonorous. The title-track follows and is
an appropriately darker and intense juxtaposition. The closer,
"Mothlight Part 1," is short lived but effective. It is
certainly a happy note on the end of an album that runs the
gamut of emotions.
Lie In Light is exactly what I was hoping to hear from
Cloudland Canyon. While living up to the tradition of kosmiche
musik and the 70's kraut-rock masters, it doesn't get bogged
down in its roots and has carved out a unique space all its
own.
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01-Krautwerk [07:02]
02-White Woman [05:52]
03-You and I [06:29]
04-Scheisse Schatzi, Auf Wiedersehen [04:15]
05-Heme [06:59]
06-Lie in Light [05:30]
07-Mothlight Part 1 [03:04]
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39:11 min