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With a band like The Autumns, when you haven't heard from
them in more than four years, you naturally assume that they are
gone the way of the dodo. So, imagine my delight when I received
this new The Autumns record for review! One of my favorite
post-shoegaze bands was not defunct after all. I was, and am,
ecstatic. So where have The Autumns been hiding out, is the next
logical question? I don't really have the answer to that, but
wherever they have been, they didn't lose their spark for making
the kind of music that chills me to the core with happiness. This
music is blissful pop perfection. It seems that the band - unknown
to me - released an ep entitled Le Carillon in the between
time that focused on producing a "50's-flavored pop"
sound. The effects of that exercise are very evident on this new
release.
The songs on this eponymous release stray quite a bit from the
darkness of 2000's In The Russet Gold Of This Vain Hour.
The mood is remarkably clearer and a bit more uplifting. This
is not to say that gone are the days of dark Autumns songs, but
the overall feeling of sadness that tinted former Autumns' records
has been replaced with a kind of cautious optimism. Don't mistake
this for musical softness though; this record is filled with the
same dense walls of guitar and throbbing rhythms that The Autumns
have always brought to the table. If in doubt, one listen to "Every
Sunday Sky" will surely remove any hint that the Autumns
have gone gooey. The song is densely layered in distortion heavy
guitars offset by jangling echoey arpeggios of beauty, thick and
heavy drums, and the near-painfully emotive vocals that are immediately
recognizable from earlier releases. "Désolé"
is a perfect example of the effect that writing and recording
Le Carillon has had on the music of the band. It is a pleasant
song, filled with beautiful harmonies and lighter musical themes.
Back and forth between dense guitars and lighter pop melodies
is definitely the order on this release. The airy and tenderly
melancholia of "Edmond & Edward" is immediately
offset with the thick shoegaze opacity of "The Moon Softly
Weeps A Lullaby", which is an exercise in pure Slowdive
inspired guitar cacophony. "Cattleys" is a softly moving
tune, filled with some beautiful piano and softening tremelo strings.
It is a few moments of stark musical beauty.
This new release from The Autumns is sure to appeal to not
only those who have always been fans, but should hopefully draw
in new crowds… possibly being the catalyst that finally
gets the band the attention that they have so long deserved.
-Embo Blake
Track Listing:
1. The End
2. Hush, Plain Girls
3. Deathly Little Dreams
4. Désolé
5. Flies In The Eyes Of The Queen
6. Every Sunday Sky
7. Slumberdoll
8. Edmond & Edward
9. Wish Stars
10. The Moon Softly Weeps A Lullaby
11. Cattleys
12. Wonderfully Wonderful
13. Heartbreak On The Open Seas
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