Memorials – All Clouds Bring Not Rain

Fire

Upon lifting the lid on this second LP-sized outing for Fire Records from Memorials, it’s impressive to be reminded that it is the work a slender band line-up, consisting of the hyper-dextrous duo of Verity Susman and Matthew Simms.

Stretching the twosome’s multi-instrumentalist and sound design talents to the max – through recording sessions in studio set-ups in rural France and a variety of locales in England — All Clouds Bring Not Rain piles an immensity of layers on and around its kaleidoscopic swirl of songs.

Opener “Life Could Be A Cloud” sets out the overall approach assuredly, shifting back and forth between hazy pastoralism and early Stereolab noise surges, with Susman’s self-tiered vocals riding the undulating waves in unflustered fashion. Thereafter, the hooks and displays of resourcefulness keep on coming, with the vivacity of a group three times the size.

Crucially eschewing polished sleekness in favour of sprawling but skilfully deployed density whilst simultaneously upping the pair’s malleable musicality, the remaining gathered tracks consistently marry melodicism to an adventurous array of arrangements.

Hence, at the wilder dominant end of the spectrum we’re delivered garage-rock-meets-motorik art-pop manoeuvres (“Cut Glass Hammer” and “Dropped Down The Well”); dub-baked psychedelia (“In The Weeds”, “Bell Miner” and “Holy Invisible”); percussive Pentangle-go-free-jazz shapeshifting (“Mediocre Demon”); and the results of Broadcast records being dropped in a Piper At The Gates Of Dawn blender (“Watching The Moon” and “Lemon Trees”).

In the more serene passages, we’re brought hymnal Vashti Bunyanisms (“Reimagined River”), warm acid-folk waltzing (“I Can’t See A Rainbow”) and an imagined intimate returning Nico guest spot on The Velvet Underground’s eponymous third album (“Wildly Remote”) to counterbalance the freewheeling giddiness elsewhere.

Shrouded in a deliberately murky and mysterious vintage fluff-on-the-needle alike mix, All Clouds Bring Not Rain requires the discerning listener to create some extra headspace to fully absorb its manifold combination of ingredients. Once done so, the restorative sonic health benefits are there to be felt aplenty, without any unwanted side-effects.

-Adrian-