Cassette Review // Andrew Livingston "Clock Orchard" (Gold Bolus)
What begins as a symphony of synth turns into the orchestra of sad strings. There is some static within here as well, which can make it feel as if it is raining. Guitars kick in with heavy distortion and this just comes out now with the singing like a heavy trip influenced largely by metal. These dark guitar chords and vocals can also remind me of the older era of Stone Temple Pilots, some of their songs from "Core" but also "No. 4". The guitar jusr bleeds through now. This also drifts off into that Hendrix style of guitar playing.
Into the second song now, there is a lower hum of distortion drone with the singing. This is truly a slower song, almost disjointed, but there is also this feeling of organs coming in with layered vocals which can also make it feel like a hymn. As we go into the third song now there is definitely more of that Jeffrey Alexander trippy / psych rock n roll sound. The strings return now, as we dive off a bit into the dartkness.
A nice rhythm of plucking strings and acoustic percussion is joined by what feels like the bass droning of a cello. Through some singing and distortion, those deep dark strings take front and center once again. It feels like we can hear that winding of the clock, but that also feels like it' taking us to a place where everything is falling apart and it's all just crashing down. We have a very quick trip up a scale of higher notes and this first side reaches its end.
On the flip side we open with a folk type of song, as it is vocals and an acoustic guitar, but then other sounds such as a trumpet come in which makes it feel like we are in a Wes Anderson movie. Synth tones roll into big magical percussion now. This is definitely somewhat trippy again, but it also feels like it's taking us on a rock n roll journey. This is both taking us into a dark place and some place magical at the same time and as the vocals have left this song the music is telling a story in itself.
As this song slowly unravels it can take on a whole genre of its own- sounds flutter behind it, big operatic strings and just the way that the words coming through in vocals so deliberately. It' just such the type of song that feels like prying someone's head open and getting a closer look at their brain. Those Pole Position type synth tones come through and then everything has this big, grand opening up feel about it now. This is once again met with that feeling of destruction and then a small trill of synth tones to finish off the song.
Acoustic guitar notes flourish now. This can all drop off into some madness, but it pulls itself back up and can also just feel like some of the most beautful music you will ever hear. Unlike the beginning of this side, this ends without any vocals but there is still that folk melody to it. As has been the case with this cassette as well, the music can sometimes do the talking and depending upon the vibe you were getting throughout the rest of it, this is a seemingly perfect ending to it all.
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