Today’s accompanying picture is of a gig last year at which myself and Aldo were much entertained….I had meant to write up a short review afterwards, but other things got in the way.
I’m now going to be really really lazy, and quote extensively from the website of Chemikal Underground Records, as the label was responsibel for releasing the debut album by Crysanths, and the gig on 16 October was just one of two in which a full band was put together to perform it in its entirety as part of the promotional activities:-
“Dancing slowly into view with grace and poise, Chrysanths’ debut album Leave No Shadow feels like a major work from the start. A deep, technicolour world landscaped by multi-instrumentalist Emily Scott, Leave No Shadow evokes the immediacy of the moment, the richness of the senses, the flow and drama of existence. Intersecting with her fluid piano playing, Scott weaves complex string arrangements that invite in her effortless vocal performances. It’s the sound of a unique artist finding their voice.
“Recorded in Scotland with Emily Scott firmly in the producer’s chair, Leave No Shadow finds the artist flowering in new territory from that associated with her band, Glasgow-based Modern Studies. The most distinctive sonic elements here are the swirling, enveloping string arrangements written by Scott. With Susan Bear’s thoughtful bass guitar and Owen Curtis Williams’s delicate drums, the album takes on a luxurious timbre reminiscent of Jean Claude Vannier’s late 60s studio work or the evocative world-building of Fontana-era Scott Walker.
“Written between 2020-22, Leave No Shadow finds Scott revelling in insularity, zooming in on the small details of her home and immediate environment, spinning universes of sound that feel like they erupt from every moment. Although Chrysanths’ compositions and timbres are sometimes mournful, they’re infused with colour and bold shifts in tone that often provoke joy. The introspection of the writing invites the listener into Chrysanth’s private world, a flowering imagination full of the immediacy of the senses.”
It really is an album full of beauty and wonder, and to hear it performed in such a small and intimate space such as the Glad Cafe – there were six musicians on stage, including three string players on cellos and violins – was an absolute treat. All this coming after TVV favourite Adam Stafford had delivered a short but enjoyable set with music taken mostly from his 2024 album, Daylight Slavings, on which he concentrates on his keyboard skills.
Leave No Shadow came close to making the cut of my favourite albums of 2022, and it is well worth a few minutes of your time to give it a listen over here at the bandcamp page. You might just be tempted to pick a digital or physical copy.
mp3: Crysanths – Rising
As my dear friend Dirk might say, enjoy.
Today’s accompanying picture is of a gig last year at which myself and Aldo were much entertained….I had meant to write up a short review afterwards, but other things got in the way.
I’m now going to be really really lazy, and quote extensively from the website of Chemikal Underground Records, as the label was responsibel for releasing the debut album by Crysanths, and the gig on 16 October was just one of two in which a full band was put together to perform it in its entirety as part of the promotional activities:-
“Dancing slowly into view with grace and poise, Chrysanths’ debut album Leave No Shadow feels like a major work from the start. A deep, technicolour world landscaped by multi-instrumentalist Emily Scott, Leave No Shadow evokes the immediacy of the moment, the richness of the senses, the flow and drama of existence. Intersecting with her fluid piano playing, Scott weaves complex string arrangements that invite in her effortless vocal performances. It’s the sound of a unique artist finding their voice.
“Recorded in Scotland with Emily Scott firmly in the producer’s chair, Leave No Shadow finds the artist flowering in new territory from that associated with her band, Glasgow-based Modern Studies. The most distinctive sonic elements here are the swirling, enveloping string arrangements written by Scott. With Susan Bear’s thoughtful bass guitar and Owen Curtis Williams’s delicate drums, the album takes on a luxurious timbre reminiscent of Jean Claude Vannier’s late 60s studio work or the evocative world-building of Fontana-era Scott Walker.
“Written between 2020-22, Leave No Shadow finds Scott revelling in insularity, zooming in on the small details of her home and immediate environment, spinning universes of sound that feel like they erupt from every moment. Although Chrysanths’ compositions and timbres are sometimes mournful, they’re infused with colour and bold shifts in tone that often provoke joy. The introspection of the writing invites the listener into Chrysanth’s private world, a flowering imagination full of the immediacy of the senses.”
It really is an album full of beauty and wonder, and to hear it performed in such a small and intimate space such as the Glad Cafe – there were six musicians on stage, including three string players on cellos and violins – was an absolute treat. All this coming after TVV favourite Adam Stafford had delivered a short but enjoyable set with music taken mostly from his 2024 album, Daylight Slavings, on which he concentrates on his keyboard skills.
Leave No Shadow came close to making the cut of my favourite albums of 2022, and it is well worth a few minutes of your time to give it a listen over here at the bandcamp page. You might just be tempted to pick a digital or physical copy.
mp3: Crysanths – Rising
As my dear friend Dirk might say, enjoy.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 