Moulettes
Album: Constellations
Label: Navigator
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.moulettes.co.uk

As a huge fan of the Moulettes ever since first seeing them at the Musicport Festival I always rush to offer to review their recorded work but sometimes I find myself slightly regretting my haste. Emphatically not because of the music, which is simply stunning, but due to the difficulty of describing it! Even after constant repeat listening to 'Constellations' over a couple of weeks I am still struggling to find words!

The contents of this CD are, if anything, even more complex and genre defying than their earlier releases. Just as well, then, that the production is every bit as as impressive as the musical and vocal performances. In both the densest passages of invention and the more instrumentally sparse moments (such as during the beautiful belle epoque waltz of 'The Night is Young') every sound is well defined and vibrant.

The diverse influences of folk, jazz, trip hop, prog rock, Shostakovich, Bjork to name just a few come together to create a thrilling multi instrumental journey into a sound-world uniquely the Moulettes' own. To name a few highlights - 'So It Goes' stands out as having huge potential as a single, The Unthanks bring an element of unearthliness to 'Elegy' and the legendary Arthur Brown and Herbie Flowers sprinkle their own magic on the frankly creepy 'Lady Vengeance' and super chilled 'Land of the Midnight Sun' respectively. Final track 'Keep It As A Memory' is a masterpiece of tension building crescendo and the listener simply has no option than to play the whole CD again to check if they really heard such incredible sounds or if it was all a dream.

I still don't have a clue what most of the songs are about as I get side tracked by the music every time but I'm sure I'll work them out eventually and it will be well worth the effort!

If you buy this CD (and you really, really should!) shop around and you will find that one major specialist online retailer is offering a bonus 6 track remix EP which has to be worth having too I am certain.

Close to genius!

Joe Grint