CD Review: Seventh Harmonic - The Awakening
pengu...@my-deja.com
an unpublished submission:
Seventh Harmonic
The Awakening
Harmonic Recordings
(dist. Resurrection Records)
harm0001
Band website: http://freespace.virgin.net/seventh.harmonic/
When Joy Division vanished and Bauhaus first strutted archly into the
limelight at the beginning of the ‘80s, the Gothic tradition in the UK
developed a self-conscious theatricality that still persists today.
Equally apparent in the deliberately camp antics of ‘Batcave’ bands
such as Sex Gang Children and Alien Sex Fiend and in the grim-faced
pomposity of Fields of the Nephilim and their ‘Goth rock’ imitators,
this quality has been far more common here than the dignified
romanticism of outstanding acts such as the Cranes.
Seventh Harmonic are therefore a rare jewel indeed in the UK
Goth scene’s crown. Influenced by the neo-folk tradition of Dead Can
Dance and by the ‘ethereal’ Goth acts associated with the US label
Projekt, they have more in common aesthetically with guitarless
atmospheric artists such as Mortiis and Endura than with the Sisters of
Mercy or Suspiria. The six tracks on their debut EP are songs rather
than soundscapes, constructed from elegantly orchestrated violin,
guitar and synthesised piano, but drip with an intense atmosphere of
romantic wistfulness more usually found today in the dark ambient and
neo-classical genres. Immersed in this shimmering melange of sound is
the dreamy, achingly sweet voice of elfin vocalist Fionna. Carefully
laid back in the mix to enhance the texture of the music, rather than
being pushed to the front, her vocals are subtly interwoven with
Eilish’s poignant violin and Caroline’s echoing orchestral programming
and sonorous, sparse guitar.
Like all good atmospheric work, ‘The Awakening’ rewards
attentive listening with subtle beauties that do not immediately reveal
themselves to the casual ear, as the deeply structured interplay of the
instruments does not have the brash obviousness of conventional rock or
pop music. Sounds rise slowly from the mix, blurring together
soothingly through the use of heavy echo. A different instrument is
constantly foregrounded to provide the guiding melody that holds the
song together. After several listens the album reveals a pleasing
diversity in its alternation of guitar, ‘piano’ and violin lead tracks,
with Fionna subtly adjusting her vocal style accordingly.
The stand-out track first appears to be ‘Tireansamraidh’, a
more up-tempo piece with Scots Gaelic lyrics played and sung with great
and joyful gusto. However the soaring violin-lead finale of the final
track, ‘The Last Goodbye’, tops it as the single highest peak of
musical intensity on the EP. The second track, ‘Each Hour’, opens with
solemnly thunderous percussion that hints intriguingly at a darker side
to Seventh Harmonic’s glamour.
‘The Awakening’ is a stunning debut, convincingly setting out
the case for honest and whole-hearted romanticism in a dark alternative
scene dominated by a fixation on the dancefloor and a preference for
the grotesque over the glamourous. This tasteful gem will surprise and
delight fans of acts as diverse as Dead Can Dance, Mortiis or Enya with
its fresh and captivating sound.
****
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Before you buy.