The Goo 1
Album Reviews Dot Allison - Consciousology Dot Al
lison releases are always a significant event on the calendar having garnered an indie following through Afterglow (1990) and her One Dove era and dipped into the electronic scene with her We Are Science (2002). This coupled with a considered release schedule only increases the anticipation. The latest album Consciousology barely strikes a beat in anger but still has an electronic sensibility to it, particularly opener ‘Shyness of Crowns’ which shares a pace and structure. There are collaborations firstly with Ride’s Andy Bell, who elicits a light touch on two tracks, ‘Unchanged’ features a chord change that brings a slight darkness to an abundantly light album. Secondly with our own, much in demand, Hannah Peel, who provides strings and orchestration to one of the standouts ‘Bleached by the Sun’. Here Allison channels The Unthanks but only because she is duetting with herself, balancing hope and the promise of change with the tempered realism “will these words come to be bleached by the sun”. Coming full circle ‘Moon Flowers’ is informed by a poem Allison wrote in 2007. The most curious track ‘220Hz’ refers to the frequency at which tree roots communicate beneath the ground where Allison appears to try to join in the conversation. My favourite ‘Milk and Honey’ is every bit as heavenly as one might expect and befitting the gods. It best represents the especially light, ethereal, dreamlike sound of the album. The themes of an ancient, magical nature continue in the beautiful ‘Mother Tree’ and the stripped back ‘Weeping Roses’. Like her contemporaries PJ Harvey, Björk and Jane Weaver, Allison continues to not only endure but enthrall. Cosmic Neighbourhood - Gatherings Beginning as a cross between a Stereolab B-Side and an 80’s Casio pre-set, it is an immediately strange album. 14-tracks covering 41 minutes speaks to a brevity of song length. Nothing outstayed its welcome and if something doesn’t appeal there’ll be another along in a minute or two. There is a childlike innocence to the experimentation and song composition. Simple ideas, layered but turned into something more. While I love the grander seriousness of say BALANCING HOPE AND THE PROMISE OF CHANGE WITH THE TEMPERED REALISM PAGE 14 A SOUL RECORD THAT IS NUANCED AND ECLECTIC AND WORKS EXTREMELY WELL FOR ANOHNI’S VOICE ‘Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan’ or ‘Wealdham’, this is more of a throwback to the early Krautrock experimentation of Neu!, Cluster and Harmonia with a hint of Boards of Canada. A feeling I couldn’t shake was how these pieces could have accompanied a slightly zany, vintage, nature documentary where there would be an overlaid musical accompaniment instead of onsite sound. Nothing is going to grab you by the throat but I’ve a particular fondness for ‘Treestess’. Despite spending much of my first play through verging on the perplexed, it now continues to bring a certain joy with every repeated listen. I humbly accept that it’s not for everyone but there’s a musical escapism to it. Yorkbased illustrator/ musician has created something that sounds both old and new and critically, vibrant and interesting. Anohni - My Back Was A Bridge For You Anohni’s new album reminds us of her resilience as she uses her artistry to address transphobia and the oppression that she feels. Her commanding voice anchors this soul record. ‘It Must Change’, the first song on this album, is clear in its message and starts the emotive journey this album takes charting challenging times in the world, in particular for minority groups. Jimmy Hogarth has produced a soul record that is nuanced and eclectic and works extremely well for Anohni’s voice which has the capacity to convey emotions from spectrums of hurt, pain and breakdown along with the journey to resilience and strengthening. This album also shines a light on climate change and concerned with our collapsing ecology, it pleads for awareness. On a personal level it is a beleaguered human missive, watching as people like her are polarised and disregarded. The songs are potent, full of weight and passion. ‘Why Am I Alive Now?’ clasps beautiful melody with heartbreak. She speaks her truth; she keeps speaking her truth. It makes for compelling listening. ‘Sliver Of Ice’ and ‘Scapegoat’ one an ode to her friend Lou Reed and the other a powerful example of her fight back against her oppressors both showcase her mesmeric voice and determination. The future needs artists like Anohni and this album is empowering and illuminating. A thing of beauty. AM