Yellow swans - At All Ends [Load Records - 2007]At all ends finds this noise/guitar duo weaving in more melodic, cinematic and ambient textures into their sound, though still managing to keeping elements of thier noise credentials with rich sometimes searing walls of sound. The title track opens the album with fairly subdued tolling electronics and guitars tones give the album & the track a wonderful ominous entrance. Over time the elements loop over and over growing in density and power creating a superb hypnotic vibe. Then the guitar starts to hint at more harmonic sunrays of sound , as well as what could well be chanting monks with- in the depths track, by aound the 7 minute mark it uncurls this wonderful melodic and cinematic guitar element which rather brought to mind a more feedback touched relation of Popol Vuh’s more guitar based work for the soundtrack’s to Herzog’s film’s in particular Fitzcarraldo. Much of the rest of the albums tracks are built around growing ambient guitar pitch and electronics thats often swirled by a haunted and timeless air and having a distinctive melodic focus, that building into epic yet slight melancholy walls of sound. In places I can hear hints of the cold guitar craft that was displayed on Howard Shore’s soundtrack David Cronenberg's for crash, as well as mentioned early Popol Vuh hypnotic melodic guitar sheens. Along with hints of Neil Young’s ragged glory guitar roar and shoe gazing indie guitar walls- but all these elements they have made wholly their own here. This is just all about growing and developing that Yellow swans sound to the next Plato. An album that might initially put off long term fans of the projects more noisy elements, but trust me give this chance and it will make perfect sonic sense. An epic and atmospheric album that takes in so many sonic emotions, highlighting a project that is always growing and developing their sound in interesting and new territories Roger Batty
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