Enraptured Records must be in their twenty-fifth or twenty-sixth year now, and although things seem to have gone a little quiet on their front over the last few years, Coldharbourstores are still flying the flag for them and are back after a mere three years with their follow-up to 2016’s Wilderness. With Graham Sutton back behind the desk again, it is not so much a question of business as usual but pushing that familiar sound into new corners, shining their gentle light on the subject of love and all that it might entail.
Dubby bass and an almost trip-hoppy rhythm introduce “Castle”, and the shimmering guitar entwines around Lucy Castro‘s caramel vocal. There is a romantic kind of feel to the proceedings, and drifting in the air is the lightest of drones that unfurl like a morning mist on a sunny day as the wispy guitar becomes more strident. The feel of tall palm trees and lazy blue skies is evoked and continues into “Remaining”, as Lucy sings “I was always in love with you”. There is something positive and upbeat about the messages relayed here, and the fuzz guitar just helps to add to the texture.
Graham Sutton’s production is pretty subtle over the course of the album, but there are points here and there where you can’t help but recognise his mark. The second half of “Champagne & Blood” has the kind of space and texture that we might remember from Bark Psychosis‘s Hex, but the build up to it is an almost discordant clash of piano notes against an Air Supply synth backing. It feels like quite a departure, in the same way that the bass-led clash of “Girl Aware” stands out from the more serene tracks that surround it.
It is a quiet gem that hopefully will signal a return to regular duties both for the band and Enraptured.
-Mr Olivetti-
