Labels: Eat A Book
Review by: MH
I wasn’t prepared for what this was going to sound like. Eat A Book have put out some great music in the last couple of years and this is no different in that sense. However, rather than the emo or post punk that I was lazily presuming would be on this tape, this is an unusual form of stripped-down acoustic music played by one guy who is/was in various other bands (including Facel Vega, Twisted and State Run). Downbeat acoustic guitar is at the fore here alongside some other minimal instrumentation. There are plenty of film/storytelling samples and spoken word elements on here too juxtaposed with other samples including wildlife and nature sounds. These are interspersed with the instrumentation throughout both sides of the tape and there is one album on either side. Both are near enough a half hour long so you will need to make sure you are somewhere comfortable for this one. Each side is made up of segments that run seamlessly into each other. “thaerstrasse 16” was recorded in 2009. It opens with some spoken word and is particularly downbeat and laidback – quite lovely at times. The numerous samples come and go and fit snugly with the guitar. “vacancy” was recorded two years later. It starts off with a spoken word piece that gives this in almost dreamlike feel and then briefly goes into more experimental territory. It settles down into some similarly enchanting acoustic sounds soon enough though. I like the way that you can hear every finger pick, every strum, every slide of the fingers down the guitar. I am finding it all quite hypnotic and mellow. This tape is very nice indeed and will soon be worn out on my ageing tape player – the one I got for my 16th birthday which is now horribly over 2 decades old. Still works like a dream though!