Manchester… It’s a place you can always seem to rely on to source that infallible, no-nonsense sound. Clearly, that belief is still well-maintained. Golden Glow is a project; the man behind it is one Pierre Hall, previously front-man of The Lead Balloons, a little band that saw a lot of renown in the confines of Manchester city. He terms his new LP dead lo-fi, currently a popular, nascent musical choice. In this case, the raw quality finely complements his modest indie sound. It’s that melodic 80s brilliance that is often rendered inimitable and can go so horribly wrong when attempting to be ‘revived’, but Tender Is The Night is a self-produced record demonstrating how it is done. It is a collection of Hall’s earlier demos and EPs to date, that his trusty initial listeners insisted should not be tampered with, but released as they are.
Although the album generally adheres to a blunt and easy vibe, there is an enthralling eeriness about several of the tracks with their cold, dour words you don’t adore me, I’m not afraid to be on my own and you left me at a loss. A sense of deep foreboding is created in The Blizzard by means of the heavy, clanging guitar-work and music. Streetlighter no doubt stands out of the crowd in its warm, romantic tone while All Time can be compared with a number of Pete Doherty’s contemplative, less-than-sober numbers. So if it is a good bit of romance you’re looking for, All Time and The Cure are the ones for you. If a drawback must be found, just slightly disappointing is the shortness in duration of each song. But all in all, Golden Glow does not appear to be reaching for the stars so here is a record we can take for face value and enjoy for its sheer simplicity. - New Beats Media |
