Harriet Riley and Alex Garden – Sonder

(self-released)

The vibes as an instrument is unique in my opinion in its ability to lift a mood and for its pure, haunting ring to linger in the mind. We were lucky enough to catch Harriet Riley when she was playing with the wonderful Bristol band Tezeta. The vibes added a fresh and shimmering aura to the band’s heady stew of latin groove and jazz skronk.

Here, she has teamed up with violin whizz Alex Garden to pursue a series of folk-inflected pastoral adventures that really summon up the most delicious of sunny days. Ably abetted by bassist Stevie Toddler, this is music for those upbeat moments when you breathe in the fresh smell of summer and feel the warmth of August kissing your skin. In fact, it is a perfect antidote to the current onrush of winter and the pieces dance around you like playful pets all set for a long, luxuriant walk.

The violin tends to lead the way, swirling and twisting like birds aloft in a clear, blue sky or whirling like a dervish through the long grass while the vibes tend to set the pace and move in a manner that is a little more measured. It is akin to a lively puppy skipping and jumping around its parent, weaving in and out of its legs and being full of joy. The violin tends to be at the folkier end of the scale, but the interaction with the vibes really changes the whole feel.

It is interesting how the vibes often highlight the upswing of the violin, not tethering but attempting to prevent it from skipping off into the atmosphere unbound. Alex is one hell of a violinist and his nimble fingers pull figures at will from the air, while Stevie’s bass playing is a joy, its low burr particularly welcome on some of the sea shanties that prevail through the album.

Sonder still sounds British in its atmosphere, but somehow it is like an undiscovered landscape, familiar but with an essence of the unexpected. In places, as on the track “Sonder”, the feel is of a nineteenth century pastoral sketch, while on others like “Shivelights”, it feels more like a jig, its energy barely contained. It isn’t all wild abandon though. At points, there is melancholy; “Vignette” is very tender in its hesitancy, but the energy soon returns and you can almost see dancers throwing themselves across the floor on the whirlwind “Nefarious”.

Listening closely, you can’t help but be swayed by the sustain on the vibes as the sounds linger in the atmosphere, sparkling like some sunlit dust motes or glowworms at dusk. The low wavering is quite lovely and its use of setting the mood is perfect, but when given the opportunity to lead the charge and build to a rolling, dramatic crescendo, as on “Phosphenes”, we see it in a whole other light. The immediacy of both instruments is captured beautifully in the production and really this is a work of which to be proud.

I’d love to see this music performed live and can only hope that on the strength of this album, and once we are allowed, that Alex and Hilary may take this on the road. Another show of strength and adventure from Bristol.

-Mr Olivetti-