CURRER BELLS - CURRER BELLS (LP)

"Trouble is brewing under the surface. The ex-pat New Zealand duo Currer Bells (penpals Tim Coster and Angeline Chirnside) play hide-and-seek on their first regular full-length LP. Sound fragments were mailed to-and-fro between Tim (Auckland, Melbourne) and Angeline (ex-Auckland, London, Dublin) and then meticulously pieced together into the 7 tracks. As well as three brand new tracks, the LP includes one track previously featured on the January 2009 WIRE magazine subscriber-only CD Dirt Beneath the Daydream and three tracks from a micro-edition 3"CD released on CLaudia in 2008. Strands of recorded percussion, acoustic guitar, thumb piano, whistles, viola, field recordings and an array of other sounds coalesce into these open-weave textures, through which glimpses of drama and the gentle suggestions of songs are apparent. The vocals appear as spectres, lost in reverie on two of the seven tracks. Angeline's astonishing voice is reminiscent of spooky folk vocals such as Kuupuu or an even more fragile, childlike Isobel Sollenberger (Bardo Pond). More often, a handful of notes surfaces and then dissolves, simply repeating until forms a subtle melody, creating the barest skeleton of a song. At the intersection of experimental pop and abstract avant-garde, Currer Bells fits perfectly in the program of Quetzi Records. (label info) Limited edition of 250 copies.