Julian Temple Band – Antarctica
(Oscillosonic Records)
Reviewed by Emma Hughes.
The track “Hundred Year Storm” opens Antarctica with a sound that, to this listener, immediately conjures images of a dimly lit bar somewhere. Intimate, the band is performing live to a crowd of devastatingly cool patrons. We’re probably in some kind of indie film noir production, and I want to be there, rather than just here with my headphones on thinking about it.
There’s an ease to the gravel in Temple’s striking vocals; they slide up next to the rest of the band like an old friend, a glass of something on the rocks sent sliding down the length of a smooth bar. Together, the Julian Temple Band is quietly confident, effortless as they take a willing room through the remainder of an album which is bluesy, richly textured and original. While the immediately following tracks feel more upbeat than the opener, that doesn’t make any of them more or less easy to consume, although I will admit to hitting back frequently, just to hear that inaugural track a couple more times over.
Where “Hundred Year Storm” warns of upcoming obstacles and dangers, “Antarctica” brings an unfamiliar environment to life, speaking of the intrigue at being somewhere far from home and the desire to remain when one can’t. In fact the entire album feels like a trip – perhaps in more than one sense of the word. “Orient Express” is a more literal interpretation of movement with a rail-like chug underscoring a tempo which increases over the course of the track. It’s a creeping shift from comfortable to dervish-like, which feels appropriate when we consider the following track name “Whirling”.
“Whirling” itself is much more laid back to begin with, and I feel like I’ve just crested something, perhaps having broken through what we were building towards in the previous track, spat out the other side and now am possessing of a completely different state of mind. The intensity ramps up before petering out again multiple times over; the motif feeling very much circular in its pattern which matches the theme of some quite existential lyrics. This brings a very tangible quality to the music, a characteristic which is common throughout the album. Stand out tracks found later in the album include “Recurrent”, which has impossibly romantic airs of a lost love or perhaps one which is yet to be found, providing plenty to get wistful over, and the final track, “Satellite”, is beautifully chilled out, reminiscent of Zero 7 in its most relaxed moments.
At no point does the quality of Julian Temple Band’s music – or the production of this recording – drop. The album retains the quality of an exquisite live performance throughout and it’s clear that every band member is not only highly skilled at their craft but also respect each other and the incredibly atmospheric music they are creating. Each track has a very distinct and different sound; cohesive enough to be recognisably all a part of the same journey, it’s a pleasantly varied one which travels through many destinations and whether those are of this earth, the mind or the spirit – or somewhere else entirely – is a decision personal to the listener. For me it’s the latter: the entire time I’m still in this bar, quite happy to listen and be taken along for the ride, wherever it may lead.
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