Howl For The Cash

Children and animals, the age-old curses of the cinema, and those you should never work with. Having said that, cinematic history proves that no one has ever heeded this advice, or steered clear of concepts involving such beings. Still, it has to be a tough field to navigate! Anyone who has children or pets in their employ is a brave soul indeed.

With this in mind, allow me to introduce you to Howl. The brain-baby of 14 Film Production students at UCA Farnham, this short film employs not one or two, but a bevy of child actors to wrangle with. Forming the central class of students within the village school, the story unfolds around devoted Teacher Miss Crawshaw, the apparently troubled new pupil Eleanor Stagg, and the mysterious man stalking the young girl. This is bound up with hints of a hellish animal within the village, framing the narrative in an otherworldly terror.

Ok, so perhaps animal is not so apt a word, seeing as the supernatural element of this tale is bound up in this beast, and the horror that lies within. The ambiguous ‘Howl’ that titles the film beautifully frames the bestial figure, and its darkness within. Miss Crawshaw’s seemingly futile endeavors to protect her students in the face of school politics hurl her down a rabbit hole of sorts, which will test her fraying nerves.

And all of this, the horror, the darkness, the beautiful imagery, would not be possible without your help. Yeah, that’s right, I’ve got your interest now, and you want to get into the meat of the tale? They need your money! Do a bit of good for our burgeoning student film market, and log on to; http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/howlshortfilm/howl-short-film-2013?ref=live  Help push this project into fruition, and onto our screens. The funding will go towards production of the set, costumes etc, but most importantly, the realisation of the beast into flesh and fur form! Delicious.

Maestro’s of the mayhem; Allan MacLeod (writer),  Nina Kästner (Producer), Jamie Sims (Director), Adam Baldock (Production Manager) Ben Cowan (1^st AD and Marketing), Samuel Hooper (Director of Photography), Jason Bourke Velji (Camera Operator), Zavinta Karsokaite (Lighting), Sophie Newton (Production Designer), Louis Grant (Art Director), Emily Britton (Costume), James Wright (Sound Design), Jasper Marriott-Tuft (Location Sound Recording/Mixing) and Ross Cameron (Editor/Marketing Team) are working hard, bringing you behind the scenes videos, outtakes and beautifully rendered concept art for your delectation on their website www.howlshortfilm.com, so the payback for your donation is instant (Allan MacLeod’s pledge video outtakes are compulsive viewing).

This ain’t just another supernatural flick, this film has the backbone of narrative mesmerism and consciousness, with a substance of flesh, fur and fear, but needs your money to feed the beast. Howl needs you! 

Laura Marling - Being Is Marvellous

Laura Marling should have her own word for what she does. For the moment I cannot think what it is, because she is too many things rolled into one. It would have to be prosaic, historic, encompassing the kind of tales that traditional story tellers hand down through generations. Women turning into wolves, singing over the bones, giving life, taking life, suffering and becoming whole though the rich, unfurling tapestry of experience. For now, I strongly offer up her last name as a shortened form of ‘Marvellous’, perhaps an amalgam of marvellous and darling? “That is Marling!” they will say.

Roving through the corridors of light and dark that frame her three studio albums from 2008 to 2011, Marling’s maturity grows with a confidence in her voice and an ability to shape a tale. It is stunning to hear it play out, forming the words then setting them running across your open mind. She has been hailed as the modern day Joni Mitchell in her latest offering, A Creature I Don’t Know, and I can think of few who are so deserving of the prestigious title. Mitchell is known for her compelling lyricism and sultry vocal arrangements which beg innocence, yet gilded with slightly tarnished vignettes of life maturity. Laura excels in these areas, wielding her dual sword of mildness and strength, weaving it into each magical chapter. Her tunes can be read as fairy tales, walking in the footsteps of the Brothers Grimm perhaps? Yet in removing the theatrical facade of these tales, you can also see the very real situations which have shaped a past and carried her through to the present.

Throughout the pages of her latest record there is a candid tone. Marling is sometimes cloaked by resigned acceptance of life’s suffering, at other times revealing a rage that has been fatigued by the marching of time. This statement seems to infer she has become dull. On the contrary, pure rage is fresh and furious. It screeches to be heard and claims victims until all energy has been sacrificed to its cause. Maturity seeks alternative routes to quell anger, views different sides of the same coin, and expends this energy in a more worthwhile pursuit. Her maturity is in taking a different route. ‘All My Rage’, the final track on album speaks volumes in its upbeat tempo alive with banjo riffs and sturdy base notes, choral arms lifting her; a crystal clear voice cutting through to the fore, repeating “I leave my rage to the sea and the sun”. Both are elemental, fierce and raw; both necessary for our survival. With this final line Laura is recognising the patchwork of emotions we contend with every day is part and parcel of our world, and is nothing to fear.

Looking back to her debut, Alas I Cannot Swim, the title alone epitomises a deep sense of fear that comes with the territory of being a teenager. Hitting the gig scene at 17, having already been a devoted fan of folk from a young age, Marling experienced discomfort at not being able to “slot [her]self into the age appropriate genre”. Her schooling at the private Quaker School in Leighton Park, she has said, gave her a feeling of unease when around others, along with a fear of death. Tracks like ‘Night Terror’, with its dark overtures and confusion, drags our protagonist down into the depths as she muses “I woke up on a bench on Shepherds Bush green, a candle at my chest, and my head on his knee. I got up, it was dark, there’s no one in the park at this hour how do I keep finding myself here?”. However, ‘Cross Your Fingers’ earns Laura the ability to laugh in the face of the inevitable and uncontrollable. “Cross your fingers, hold your toes, we’re all gonna die when the building blows. And the house that you were born in, is crumbling at the corners, sagging skin and feet of crows”. Alluding to the very real spectre of death, Marling’s saving grace is her ability to view our collective demise as poetic, and almost welcoming; “and you’ll be reborn bigger and stronger”. 

Regardless, there is also a very real sense of fear, tinged with regret and perhaps the odd peek of mild depression, Marling’s arrangements often speak of lightness, perhaps aiming to combat these fears. She becomes ethereal; waiflike she floats through the lyrical scenery using her voice like wings. Singing with a grace and smoothness that refuses to be brought down by the real and imagined “hollow thing” that lies in wait, a song like ‘Shine’ gathers strength which expels any corruptive force “step away from my light I need shine”. But it is not mere existential angst which brings down our heroine. ‘Ghosts’ offers an insight into emotional baggage carried from past relationships into new connections. Lyrics “Lover please do not fall to your knees, it’s not like I believe in ever-lasting love” are both comforting and terrible, hemmed with a carousing arrangement of strings and skins that illuminates fear in the heart of joy. The record in its entirety flits between real and imagined terrors, teenage rebellion, confusion and enlightened perspectives. It shimmers with all the energy of a soul both corrupted and exalted by life’s contradictions.

Second studio album is graceful still, but with more fire, like the silver lining of all her soul searching. Again, the title of the Record, I Speak Because I Can, is full of meaning. Opener ‘The Devil’s Spoke’ is sharp and biting. It owns a rage that is yet to be harnessed, with lyrics “eye to eye, nose to nose, ripping off each others’ clothes in a most peculiar way” decrying a latent sexuality that moves with age. She is cautious of romantic feeling, and of relying on another, as she bitingly remarks “What of which you wish to speak, have you come here to rescue me?” She can also be possessive of this person “I am your keeper, and I hold your face away from light”. The track speaks of destruction in the want of another. There is, however, a depth maturity in her tracing of romantic love. ‘What He Wrote’, penned after reading war time love letters, toys with the idea of longing and loss. It also softens Marling’s inferences of independence that colour the record. ”forgive me Hera I cannot stay, he cut out my tongue there is nothing to say.” Calling to the Goddess of Women and Marriage, it is as if she offers apology for not being stronger, as she calls “I miss his smell” in her half broken  voice.

Hera, Sophia, and God are just three of the guiding forces that are called upon within the records. Being a religious lady, her faith can be called in to question, but often is fiercely clung to. In ‘Hope In The Air’ she asks “pick up your rope Lord, sling it to me if we are to battle I must not be weak...for I am your saviour your last serving daughter.”  However, it is the assistance of Hera in I Speak Because I Can and Sophia “Goddess of power” in A Creature I Don’t Know that is in sharp relief. The presence of these ethereal totems buoys resolve, creates a strength through which the musical arrangements soar, but also causes moments of chaos in which female rage rises through the restraints.

Appearing in the final Reord A Creature I Don’t Know, Sophia has her own song, but appears throughout the narrative. Her strength lifts the spirit of ‘The Beast’, in which the thunderous drums and soft strummed riffs convey loss, lyrics “where did our love go, you will never know” telling of a love gone sour. The addition of the beast in the tale, and lyrics “tonight I choose the beast, and tonight he lies with me” as the riff reaches full throttle attacks the memories of the past in favour of destruction of body and mind. Connotations of savagery have this unbridled rage bubbling to the top for the moment. Recurring lyrics in ‘Sophia’, “Oh I have been wandering, where I have been pondering. Where I’ve been lately is no concern of yours” retains this taint of soured love. Yet it is the arrangement again which refuses to fall under the weight of loss. Sophia is invoked, as she admits; “Sometimes I sit stare, sometimes you look and sometimes I don’t care. Rarely I weep sometimes I must. I’m wounded by dust”. As she kicks the bridge, the track tumbles through to an up-tempo country number, backing vocals heralding her Goddesses’ entrance. Its astoundingly beautiful, almost as all encompassing as ‘My Firends’. This track epitomises her signature dichotomy between lightness and heaviness in arrangements and lyrics. Lightly strung acoustics hang over her open vocals as lyrics concede “You’re very tall, you’re very handsome, you have it all, your skin smells like man and, you’ll never know how I ached.” Reaching a tempo crescendo alive with banjo strings, guitars and drums, with the lyrics “a few good mothers go for what they ought not, what they ought not teach” heralds a joie de vivre in following your own path, for good or ill.

This is the very bed of her beauty. The paths that are explored are many and varied. They offer little judgement save for the raw emotions that spring from each new experience. It is because Marling is so elemental and thoughtful in arrangements and lyrics that she is so compelling. The differing conclusions you can draw on each song each time you hear them makes for an ever changing canvass upon which she has put her mark, and so can you. Her albums offer a catharsis, expel rage, soften fear, prop you up, allow you space and time to breathe and focus. It can offer a sadness that becomes a short term dwelling to revel in, but offers an escape route into the joy and light which is rightfully yours, when you want to grab it. There are no excuses, no apologies, just the elemental emotions we all are capable of, and a sense that there is no shame in these experiences. We are all, and all have, a creature we don’t know, we fear drowning but yet speak, because we can.

'Toothbrush' - By Jamie Sims: Teaser Trailer

Im breaking back into this blog, after a long sojourn. But that’s another story.


I’ve started again inspired by my friend Jamie, who has an unfailing sense of drive, a view of where he wants to be, and the talent to take him far. He has just finished a short film, which is beautiful.

Many people have loved and lost in their brief history as a human. Some let the current of sadness that guilds the memories take them under, some bury the past deep and refuse to dig it up, regardless of the cost to their future happiness. Others learn and live, safe in the knowledge they tried, were loved, and can love again.

It’s safe to assume, then, everyone has felt a multitude of positive and negative feelings towards an ex at any given point of an irreconcilable break-up. Written and Directed by Mr Sims, ‘Toothbrush’ takes a journey into the very personal and singular feelings one can feel when this occurs. Opening with the ceremonial packing up of the others belongings, the narrative soon takes a surreal visitation into the collective experiences that keep you hanging on. What paths can you take to exorcise these painful and yet beautiful memories? Is it really enough to capitulate and banish? Both uniquely singular in its treatment of one side of a split, and yet fiercely protective of the experiences that prove catalytic to heartbreak, this short film tugs at your heartstrings. It burns with recognition of what we all have felt. Im not going to give too much away, but watch the trailer. The full film will be out soon enough.


Toothbrush TEASER from Jonny Ruff on Vimeo.

Bombay Bicycle Club - I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose

Having been a mass advocator of these guys since they appeared a few years back, in my peripherals possibly around the time that I was leaving University. I definitely remember seeing them at Glastonbury in 2009, and being blown away by them, as I sheltered from the white hot sun in a hollowed out and halved wooden track casing. Leaning against the cushions with the customary pint of cold, cold cider, I was taking it all in. even my techno-head buddy was all about them within two tracks. But listening to their album ‘I had the Blues but I shook them loose’ was another story. I bought it, but did I listen? Hell no. Irregular downloads and pre-polished beauties kept me going when I got my Bombay phases and needed a fix.

It’s the divide between an established artists cut-glass chimes and vocals and the old grit that gets me. Why would you want to lose that. The same way vinyl has way more character; there is no beating the flaws that are held within an early rendition. But alas, I broke at last and put the album in the CD drawer and explored the entrails. In a stunned tale of difference, it is mature. Perhaps this is what held me back all that time ago? Their innocence and subtle anger, heard in the voice and lyrics throughout even the quietest moments, has morphed into calm austerity that lurks above the feelings reigned in, an atmosphere of armor. Spanning the tracks, more intense feeling spreads across like spilled ink. So when I listen to ‘Magnet’, the lyrics have been hacked and divided between this and ‘Cancel on me’, severing the distraught distaste and a complex love affair, and rooting it in a more sober approach.

His distinct vocals still itch with that unbridled passion, stretching into forlorn disinterest, despair and then back into positive calm, an understanding of fact and fiction. Moments of energy and anger are met with an affected shaking in his voice. Shuddering on the brink of a relapse into the old ways of the Club. It is interesting, like watching someone breakdown, whilst trying to hold it together. This willful edge is met with clashes of snarling snare and pulsing drums in ‘Cancel on me’ as the end is in sight. It highlights that even under this presence of mind there is tumult. Breaks and beats in moments of ‘Autumn’ with pure mixes of indie from the true heyday, latterly forgotten in the haze of noughties ‘Indie’ efforts.

Golden oldie ‘What If’ in its re-dubbed state trips off skillfully spangled riffs and gently hissing high-hats, gliding through the air and meeting head on moments of crescendo where the lament becomes all too much. ‘Giantess’ in its more acoustic state still harnesses the drum machine in a break that is satisfying in the combination of old and new. Soporific and lilting, it differs almost entirely from every other track, but as a foray is beautifully engineered to wind you down after a hard and mostly fast jaunt into this little world. Difficult to pigeonhole as Bombay Bicycle Club are, the feeling of being in a warm bath when you hear them is difficult to escape. It is the one thing you can truly say about them, and its not a genre bound description. They hold you with their odd angled views and intone safety. It feels like purity, though how that is conveyed I don’t know, like magic, or charisma. Some people just have it I guess.

Iron & Wine - 'Kiss Each Other Clean' Review

Released 24.01.11 - Warner Brothers

With a little over three years since the release of The Shepherds Dog in 2007, Samuel Beam brings us the fourth studio album under the name he found on a dietary supplement in a store whilst shopping, ‘Beef Iron & Wine’. Nice. Well, if his 2007 release repined from the elemental folk of Our Endless Numbered Days, this offering entwines both, sweetening the deal with a little tribal timbre which bounds in and out of focus.

The repetitive and resounding quality within ‘Walking Far From Home’ drops you in through a hole filled with feedback, waning as Beam vocalizes over his observations in crowds, setting himself apart from the casual lives that pass. Crunchier qualities are lifted through choired choruses and the strains of a didgeridoo, lightening the mood in moments of clarity.

Beam really shows his respect for those musical greats who have gone before, ‘Me And Lazarus’ and ‘Glad Man Singing’ at times echoing Chris Rea, and perhaps jimmy Page, in the studied riffs and bubbling bass that lay under Sam’s rhythmic lyrical delivery and silky intonation. ‘Monkeys Uptown’ layers this feel with the elasticity of tribal drums, resounding throughout, entwining in chimes and the very image of rain. In other golden moments, there is a definite feel of the fields and golden sunshine of a hazy festival, ‘Tree By The River’ evokes this place in spades, infectious choruses and striking imagery masterfully dispelling any other thoughts from your head.

Inded, the pace changes so quickly throughout it could make your head spin, but with a guiding hand that seems to be present at all times, and the intertwining of those slower moments with bigger, more peopled tracks, Kiss Each Other Cleam is both dizzying and reassuring. ‘Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me’ speeds through an opening riff, drawing in flutes, trumpets and the odd strain of a saxophone in the style of an eternal jazz band, before slowly extinguishing each instrument, leaving a more peaceful outtro.

Perhaps the finest moments though, come from those stripped-back tracks where Samuels charming vocals and musicianship come to the fore. ‘Godless Brother In Love’ is one such moment, where the piano plays an endless ebbing tune over which the lyrics soar, entwining with simple chords from the mandolin and a sparse backing chorus. It is both achingly beautiful and optimistic.

So Iron and Wine is back, and not a moment too soon. With a track for every moment, from every facet of Samuel Beam’s repertoire, it combines crystal elements of the folkster we love, alongside the more playful elements which dig deeper into the past, making up some of the present. Needless to say Kiss Each Other Clean inspires philosophical thought in the minds of those who are attuned to it!

Pulled Apart By Horses - 16th September 2010

Guildford Boiler Room

With Support from the sans-base duo Phantom Theory, who manage to whip up a storm with tough drums, riffs and vocals, and a stage presence not to be reckoned with, alongside the equally grand Young Legionnaire, members of which have cut their teeth belonging to some well known diamonds such as Yourcodenameis:milo and of course Bloc Party, Pulled Apart By Horses take to the stage with little grandeur and open with I Punched A Lion in The Throat. Reminiscent of a boy-child staking outrageous claims, the title lyrics are repeated with a ferocious tenacity and defiance, all the more appealing since the statement is so damned absurd! From this instance you are drawn from your mind into the swirling vortex of a force you cannot see, but is pulling you gently into an abyss of savage energy and joyous degradation.

The jam-packed crowd twist turn and stagger to the heady riffs and thrashing drumbeat, speakers swinging from the ceiling as we whip back and forth, and in not time at all the gents are reeling off their last few bars, and settling us in with some choice banter, channeling around lead guitarist James Brown being ‘single and riddled’, a catch in essence! Ripping into the fresh and tasty single Back To The Fuck Yeah, Tom Hudson shows off both challenging and charming vocals as the chorus riff demands a long shrieking cry from the pit of his soul, set apart from the latter reverberating guttural cry of “Yeeah-huh”. Its a beaut, and no doubt worthy of the esteem it has collected for the quad.

The most notable, chaos-inspiring tracks follow shortly behind in the shape of E=MC Hammer and Yeah Buddy, the latter of which takes inspiration from a steroid freak, and drips with a sarcastic, menacing strut as they muse “Yeah buddy. Thats Super heavy. Lightweight baby!... Thank God for pure natural strength.” The divide between the stage and the surrounding chaos becomes incomprehensible as Tom drives through the crowd, shrieking and shaking with an unbridled wonder-lust, bassist Robert stands high on his bass-amp, cutting one mean silhouette, James pulls one dumbstruck lady into a one armed hug, and Drummer Lee Vincent hammers out and impressive backdrop for the proceedings. in a whirl of shredding riffs and raw vox from centre stage, we are left reeling and ready for the last, and most bloody of all, not least because those of us privileged to be at the front can see James’ claret dripping from his fingers onto the collection of strings he covets! Den Horn opens as one over-energised bunny hops up and climbs monkey-style over the crowd to hang off the ledge above the stage, supported by the over-fueled arms of all those who cant stop shouting for more. As reality seeps back in, and we are left to stare blinking into dim recollection, there is an unsaid thought we all share. I want to do THAT again! The night has ended on a high, but all to quickly and we are left wanting more. PABH deal in inspirational chaos, and it is a drug we will continue to crave for eternity after this night.

Mercury 2010 Nominated Rundown

Nominated:

Corinne Bailey Ray - The Sea

Half written before and after her late husbands death, the album feels both new and fresh, and thick with yearning. This seems to be a feeling that Corinne has tapped into, not dwelling too much on her own pain it seems, but on the beauty that can be felt with it, and an empathy for everyone and everything surrounding her. The camaraderie she says she shared with her eclectic group of top musicians whilst creating this album, and healing her torn life, can truly be felt throughout each different thread running through this tapestry of tracks. It is a coming together of emotions and styles, elegantly structures and dripping with soul.

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

One of the most beautiful albums i have ever come across, listening to the group discuss their debut, and the effort that went into the composition of each individual track is a truly beautiful thing, and effortlessly paints them as talented musicians with a deep and proficient talent, as well as a deep emotional connection to the music they make. With a driving force behind every sound, movement can be heard in every single track, soft or rough. Their choral lyrical moments are pure gems.

Kit Downes Trio - Golden

The only representation of Jazz in this mix, Kit Downes reaches into his deep well of musical knowledge and presents a whirlwind foray into the bands own particular brand of off-kilter tunefulness. At times sounding like you are standing between two music rooms listening to separate practices, there is a whimsy to their style. Golden, the title track unfolds, revealing layers to explore, as the tune subtly changes with each few bars.

Dizzy Rascal - Tongue N Cheek

There has been a lot of discussion surrounding Dizzy, and it cannot be said that he is a lazy artist. His tracks have evolved since he started to make music, and his shrewd take on each musical style he lends his hand to is palpable throughout the track. The tracks are upbeat and pithy, as is to be expected from Dizzy’s own style of lyrical banter. This album has already been given such critical Kudos, and bore Dizzy an embarrassment of number one singles in the charts, if this were a more mainstream commercial based award, there is not doubt this one would be in the bag.

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers

One of the most bizarre and baffling groups of this years nominations, with Hayden Thorpe’s falsetto yowl etched across many tracks throughout the album, Wild beasts have also one of the most powerful albums. With discussion of the ‘fulcrum’ between the two sides of the album being the title track ‘Two Dancers’, listeners can feel the pull between broken emotions riding high and a gentle goading love for fun and enjoyment. The album is like a tale of life, with no beginning or end, but it continues. This sense is captured in the last track, which the band members favoured as one which gives a hint as to what will follow upon their return.

Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation

With Weller’s ‘key track’ being the title of the album, and feeling this best sums up his efforts on this record. As the proffered ‘Mod-father’ and veteran of rock, his appearance on this list sets up the Mercury’s as indifferent to length of service in the music industry, and only celebrating all forms of truly great music, whatever the background.

Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions

One of the more commercially popular albums, and from a background that stands out against the rest as more mainstream, Biffy Clyro have been rewarded for a long line of releases in this years Mercury awards. This certainly is one of their finest works, encompassing sensitive tracks, with the riff heavy larger numbers, inspiring moshpits across the festival scene this year.

Villagers - Becoming A Jackal

An irish artist and friends of the epic James Vincent McMorrow, links can be seen between the two pals, though his smooth and inviting voice sets him apart and places him in the Simon and Garfunkel era, recalling tracks such as America. With complex and insightful lyrics and a thunderous beat, sounding as though hacked out on the hull of his acoustic guitar, the title track becoming a jackal opens a new path to self discovery.

I am Kloot - Sky At Night

With gentle stirring riffs and rolling beats amongst some of the more powerful tracks, and lyrics which could make the most shallow person pensive, Kloot without question belong in this mix. You can sense the deep connection and understanding between band and producer in the shifting weight between dark and melodious, joyful and sweeping tracks. The most powerful has to be ‘I Still Do’, who’s bright and beautiful plucked guitar rhythm weaves a story behind its shimmering facade.

Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can

One of the most beautiful albums to come out of a painful experience that has ever been penned, recorded and presented before an already sizable fan-base. the meek and mystical Laura speaks to the heart and beseeches you to feel every note.

The XX - XX

Embodied as ‘A lifetimes work’ by band member ollie, this is one of the most expansive albums on the list, rivaling even foals in this field. with Both Romy and Ollie engaging with the lyrics, there is a bitter-sweet battle of the sexes involved, sometimes singing in turn, sometimes together, overlapping their voices in the same lyrical pattern, but never vying for the limelight. this represents a fantastically produced and epically involved collection.

Foals - Total life Forever

a master-class in the creation of space, and time. with barbed lyrics which bizarrely compliment the synthy backbeats and sneaky bass. All the undercurrents and over-exertion come together to form what can only be described as Ennui-Disco in my ears, though they may hate that. Its the culmination of being drowned in sound, and swept to a new and intuitive setting, which you will never tire of exploring

The Winner:

It has been announced and The XX have indeed won the coveted prize. The minimalist, futurist and deeply dark artistes have trumped all others and come out speechless in the award ceremony, bereft of a clever quip, or hundred mile and hour gabbled thanks. The XX have divided opinion in their figurative arrival centre stage earlier this year, and yet having had their track Intro used in the UK Election coverage this year, alongside other snapshots in adverts and television shows, they were tipped as one of the forerunners for the award.

Listening back to the album, you can see why the prestigious award was given to these bright young things- they have the gift of creating a world of space, and time to explore it. Through the sparse lyrical foreground, and the slow yet gaining rhythmic structures that support it, you can feel a strength grown and cultivated from inside out. there are no half measures within each track. Every composition has been thought about in depth, and with their own admittance that this album has been imbibed with everything they have ever written you get the sense that every single tune is their own baby, to be nurtured and set out into the world, but only when fully ready.