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The Body Lyre - CD Review – The Body Lyre – December Marches

21 Jan 2010 // A review by CEOMong
The CD comes beautifully packaged in what, at first glance, looks like a book of poetry, an illusion shattered (or perhaps enhanced) by the randomness of a burnt CD in a Croxley envelope. Out of it. Implies all sorts of interesting things about the album, most of which are borne out. Took a wee while to get into, but the more I listened the more I liked it.

Vastly different from my usual preference for head-banging boot stomping tunes, I must say I quite like it. I couldn’t help but feel this album should be the soundtrack for some epically outrageous Tarantino movie – very sweaty, bluesy and intense. If you miss out on this album you’ll regret it. Crank it up, spark up, pour another glass and enjoy.

Track 1 – Sex acts for sisters - Melodic acoustic intro, chuck a bit of woodwind in there for good measure. Nice precise picking. Very grungy bluegrass feeling. Cool bongos. Nice electric gax sneaked in there to replace the acoustic – nice cheeky progression. Mellow sounding, I get the feeling of an intimate gig in a bar somewhere in the wee hours.

Track 2 – Body Lies - More grungy blues, sweeping and up and down. Full of emotion. I especially like the vinyl crackle – a very nice touch for those that remember such things.

Track 3 – Play for Voices – mellow and steady. Almost intelligible voices at the end really mess with your head.

Track 4 – Warm Sin – and now we’re getting going, a wicked rocking tune comes rocking out. Enthusiastic and groovy gax hooks, solid rhythms. This’d fill up a dance floor with sweaty peeps real fast.

Track 5 – Gussied Up – back to the acoustic and delicate backing vocals. Another mellow tune which plods along and surprises you with a rocking chorus. Tapping toes before you even realise. Very cool brass to accompany and enhance the last, epic, third of the track.

Track 6 – Chloe-Rose – slow melodic intro, dulcet vox by Ava, deliberate and dominant gax, combined with doleful bass plucking make this as instant classic. Very very cool.

Track 7 – Having Heard Devils Speaking – semi-industrial thrumming, trippy to say the least. Outro deafening, bummer.

Yours in Body,
CEOMong
 

About The Body Lyre

The Body Lyre is a Wellington based 6-piece. The band incorporates different line-ups on recordings and in live settings.

In 2010 they released Escape Songs: twelve individual songs, with each new song available to download for free at the end of every month. At the end of the year, the twelve songs were collected and released as a vinyl LP, and there will be two CD EP versions released during the year.

Their earlier release December Marches (2009) is available to buy in physical form or for free download from the blog.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for The Body Lyre

Releases

Blood/Work
Year: 2012
Type: EP
Escape Songs
Year: 2010
Type: Album
December Marches
Year: 2009
Type: Album

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