![]() ![]() Laird-Clowes' voice is untreated and laid bare here, sounding influenced by Nick Drake (he is an admitted Nick Drake freak). "Polygamy" features looped tablas, while "Sapphire" is a pastoral British folk ballad with jazzy guitars. "Girl I Used 2 Know" kicks off the album in fine form, with hushed vocals, a stop-and-start rhythm, and various electronic noises, similar to what Jason Pierce does with his group Spiritualized, only there's an added Middle Eastern element to this one. The album - credited to Laird-Clowes' newly adopted moniker, Trashmonk - was a mixed bag of various cyber-folk sounds and edgier space rock-influenced songs, many built upon transient electronic noises, spoken-word samples, and various instruments blended in with Laird-Clowes' scratchy and understated vocals. Laird-Clowes spent the better part of four years recording, resulting in 1999's critically acclaimed Mona Lisa Overdrive, taking its name from a William Gibson cyber-punk sci-fi novel. Returning to his home in England, Laird-Clowes eventually met up with Alan McGee, who wanted the singer to record a solo album for his Creation Records label. ![]() He took with him a dictaphone recorder and made field recordings of what he was hearing all around him, whether it was chirping birds or confused taxi drivers. ![]() In the mid-'90s, Nick Laird-Clowes - whose mid-'80s band, the Dream Academy, enjoyed a few hits, notably "Life in a Northern Town" - decided to take some time off and traveled around India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Tibet for a time. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |