| 1. (The Waves Are Rolling Beneath Your Skin) |
| 2. Into the Night |
| 3. Song Is Not the Song of the World |
| 4. Good Friend, Yr Hunger |
| 5. (We Drew Uncertain Breath) |
| 6. Bells Aloud |
| 7. First Light's Freeze |
| 8. Evidence (A Mask of Horizon, Distortion of Form) |
| 9. No Voice Was Raised |
| 10. (Migration Concentric) |
| 11. All That I Know to Have Changed in You |
| 12. Dancing with Someone (Privilege of Everything) |
| 13. Reflecting in the Angles |
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
A dark, mutant-country sound infused with strands of free-jazz and a late-70's Nashville big-radio strut hijacked by post-punk unravelers. The result is a beautiful mix of somber reflection, destination-unknown travelogue, and subversive anti-war boogie. "Freeze" confronts the mythology of war and friendship; the close proximity of things painful and pleasurable, and the complications of this as a paradigm for the world. Castanets suggest artistic geography as transcontinental as Merle Haggard, Albert Ayler, Television, and Richard and Mimi Farina.
Once again, there are shorter pieces of ambient drones that fill in the gaps between the longer pieces, and the album opens with one in "(The Waves Are Rolling Beneath Your Skin)" before the album starts in full with the desolate-sounding "Into The Night." The track mixes sparse, acoustic instrumentation with the buzz of streetlamps and haunting vocals (that touch on politics of war) into a track that sort of drifts like a dense fog. "A Song Is Not the Song of the World" drops a slightly fuzzy electronic beat behind strummed guitar and building vocals before the track skronks out about halfway through with some bursts of noisy guitar, synth bubbles, and organ.
From there, the album is even more mixed. "Good Friend, Yr Hunger" is a weird electronic stomp with banjo, droning e-bow guitar, and melancholy vocals from Raposa while "Bells Aloud" drops off into billowing alt country, a subdued track drenched in reverb and haunted with regretful vocals. Arriving in short bursts are hazy, short bursts of droning guitars that act more as chapter dividers than bridges between tracks. In places, the new instrumentation sounds a bit well-worn, such as the drum machine beats and guitar beginning of "No Voice Was Raised." Just about the time you think the track is going to be another electro-indie snoozer, though, Raposa drops a twist and the track turns into a full-on freakout complete with dense layers of howling guitars, pounding drums, and horns.
The best track on the entire release might be the more subdued "All That I Know To Have Changed in You," which seems to be the best blending of styles on the entire release as subtle electronics glint and flutter around a slow and heady track that pulses with reverb. Despite the great tracks, First Light's Freeze feels a bit more inconsistent than the great debut from the group. At just over a half-hour in running length, the sequencing (with the short tracks that don't really do much to hold it together) seems a bit strange, and the hodge-podge of genres is interesting but at times a bit distracting.
The second album takes off just where the first left us. It is just as good and there are no major alterations to their sound. Like, say, D. Banhart's Rejoicing in the hands and Nino Rojo, or the two Franz Ferdinand or Interpol releases, they haven't changed much but manage to keep up the creativity. The Castanets are a good distance into the experimental side of modern music. They pay good attention to backing instrumentals as well as to vocals. They're dark, despite the vocalist's likeable tenor, and manage an honest, low-key and endlessly fascinating album, living up nicely to last year's debut, Cathedral. Good for fans of darker, complex, serious music.
My favorite song so far is No Voice Was Raised (if you're the single-downloading type or if you want to try it out)
A dark, mutant-country sound infused with strands of free-jazz and a late-70's Nashville big-radio strut hijacked by post-punk unravelers. The result is a beautiful mix of somber reflection, destination-unknown travelogue, and subversive anti-war boogie. "Freeze" confronts the mythology of war and friendship; the close proximity of things painful and pleasurable, and the complications of this as a paradigm for the world. Castanets suggest artistic geography as transcontinental as Merle Haggard, Albert Ayler, Television, and Richard and Mimi Farina.
First Light's Freeze,Castanets,Asthmatic Kitty,Indie Rock,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop
First Light's Freeze
Average customer rating: 
|
First Light's Freeze
Castanets Manufacturer: Asthmatic Kitty ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  General
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
Indie Rock
| Indie & Lo-Fi
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B000BCKFMA Release Date: 2005-10-11 |
Tracks:
- (The Waves Are Rolling Beneath Your Skin)
- Into the Night
- Song Is Not the Song of the World
- Good Friend, Yr Hunger
- (We Drew Uncertain Breath)
- Bells Aloud
- First Light's Freeze
- Evidence (A Mask of Horizon, Distortion of Form)
- No Voice Was Raised
- (Migration Concentric)
- All That I Know to Have Changed in You
- Dancing with Someone (Privilege of Everything)
- Reflecting in the Angles
Album Description
A dark, mutant-country sound infused with strands of free-jazz and a late-70's Nashville big-radio strut hijacked by post-punk unravelers. The result is a beautiful mix of somber reflection, destination-unknown travelogue, and subversive anti-war boogie. "Freeze" confronts the mythology of war and friendship; the close proximity of things painful and pleasurable, and the complications of this as a paradigm for the world. Castanets suggest artistic geography as transcontinental as Merle Haggard, Albert Ayler, Television, and Richard and Mimi Farina.Customer Reviews:
pretty darn good follow-up for the veering group.......2005-12-22
Once again, there are shorter pieces of ambient drones that fill in the gaps between the longer pieces, and the album opens with one in "(The Waves Are Rolling Beneath Your Skin)" before the album starts in full with the desolate-sounding "Into The Night." The track mixes sparse, acoustic instrumentation with the buzz of streetlamps and haunting vocals (that touch on politics of war) into a track that sort of drifts like a dense fog. "A Song Is Not the Song of the World" drops a slightly fuzzy electronic beat behind strummed guitar and building vocals before the track skronks out about halfway through with some bursts of noisy guitar, synth bubbles, and organ.
From there, the album is even more mixed. "Good Friend, Yr Hunger" is a weird electronic stomp with banjo, droning e-bow guitar, and melancholy vocals from Raposa while "Bells Aloud" drops off into billowing alt country, a subdued track drenched in reverb and haunted with regretful vocals. Arriving in short bursts are hazy, short bursts of droning guitars that act more as chapter dividers than bridges between tracks. In places, the new instrumentation sounds a bit well-worn, such as the drum machine beats and guitar beginning of "No Voice Was Raised." Just about the time you think the track is going to be another electro-indie snoozer, though, Raposa drops a twist and the track turns into a full-on freakout complete with dense layers of howling guitars, pounding drums, and horns.
The best track on the entire release might be the more subdued "All That I Know To Have Changed in You," which seems to be the best blending of styles on the entire release as subtle electronics glint and flutter around a slow and heady track that pulses with reverb. Despite the great tracks, First Light's Freeze feels a bit more inconsistent than the great debut from the group. At just over a half-hour in running length, the sequencing (with the short tracks that don't really do much to hold it together) seems a bit strange, and the hodge-podge of genres is interesting but at times a bit distracting.
Beautiful experimental follow-up album.......2005-11-10
The second album takes off just where the first left us. It is just as good and there are no major alterations to their sound. Like, say, D. Banhart's Rejoicing in the hands and Nino Rojo, or the two Franz Ferdinand or Interpol releases, they haven't changed much but manage to keep up the creativity. The Castanets are a good distance into the experimental side of modern music. They pay good attention to backing instrumentals as well as to vocals. They're dark, despite the vocalist's likeable tenor, and manage an honest, low-key and endlessly fascinating album, living up nicely to last year's debut, Cathedral. Good for fans of darker, complex, serious music.
My favorite song so far is No Voice Was Raised (if you're the single-downloading type or if you want to try it out)
Rap Music:
- Freedom and Weep
- From the Hip [Original recording remastered]
- Girl at Her Volcano [Import]
- Godbluff [Original recording remastered]
- Good Morning Spider [Enhanced]
- Greatest Hits [Import]
- Here Come the Noise Makers [Live]
- Hex
- Home for Orphans
- I Am Me [Import]
Recommended Music:
Illegal Techno 2001 [Limited Edition] [Import]
Milt Hinton: East Coast Jazz V.5 [Import]
Pharaohization: The Best of Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
Precious Lord: The Great Gospel Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey
Next Age Songs For Marching Armies
Mind Experience Ep [CD-single] [Import]
The CGI Family of Artists Presents... Gospel Jubilee Volume One