Sleeper And Snake – Fresco Shed

Lulu’s Sonic Disc Club (Australasia and Asia) / Upset The Rhythm (Europe and Americas)

A love of hazy voices, alliteration and simple melodies infuses the spirit of Sleeper And Snake‘s Fresco Shed. As members of Terry and alumni of the Australian underground, you might be forgiven for thinking you know what is coming.

I am pleased to say that this in fact is a very intriguing and disarming set of personal poetry set to meandering, simplistic rhythms. The perhaps unexpected opening of a sax and clarinet duet is lovely, rising above the sounds of the subway as they move almost in unison, not always matching. It is the same for the second track, where we are introduced to the voices; Amy Hill‘s is sweet and slightly distant, while Al Montfort‘s is a little lazier. They duet over cello and bass, really teasing the words out from one another and seemingly enjoying more the shape and form of the words rather than their literal meaning.

I like the fact that one or other of them tends to take what might be considered the lead vocal in a track, but it just sounds as if their voice has been pushed a bit further forward in the mix. This sense of alternating is rather lovely and the feeling of democracy that runs right through the album. The songs generally are structured really simply, but the array of instruments means that each track stands out from the one before. “Rokeby” sounds as if it is based around an out of tune banjo, while “Lady Painter” is all spooky synth sounds. I love the line “paint me a picture of a pauper in a palace“, and Al’s delivery is so nonchalant. There is even a chug of violin to accompany the other miscreant textures.

I think they might agree that they aren’t virtuosic on some of the instruments, but that is part of the appeal. Just grabbing something because its sound is exactly what is required works perfectly here, although the soft creaminess of the reeds on the lengthy “Shoot Through” is pretty delicious. In fact, the reeds, sax and clarinet (I think), when they feature, are beautifully if simply played. “New Togs” is a melancholy Eastern-influenced instrumental duet that highlights the playing. The fact that it is preceded by “Lock Up The Loose”, which has an accordion break at the end, only goes to show their variety and desire to experiment. In fact, to quote the track “Piles”, “that is the kind I find I don’t mind“.

Fresco Shed ends on an acoustic guitar and clarinet duet, with drums giving an unexpected momentum before coming to an untimely halt. This album is charm and style personified and a lovely example of band members heading off the beaten track, heading for fresh pastures. It is a roaring success and here’s to more of the different.

-Mr Olivetti-