Demos

Amelie's Orchestra - EP

Owain Paciuszko 23/02/2011

Rating: 3/5

Opening with a swell of music called The Conductress, there's an avant garde rich Brian Eno-like vibe to this ep from experimental three piece Amelie's Orchestra, and as that track merges into Silence of an Orchestra there's a beautiful sense of anticipation to the intricate and wondrous craft on display. Clearly influenced by the likes of Sigur Ros, the slow, careful, over-lapping layers of noise, vocals and sweet, sombre guitar are cosy and comforting.

The influence is more blatant on Ghost in the Park with falsetto vocals over icy choral cooing in the back, and whilst the track builds nicely, glockenspiel tip-toeing around the lead vocal, there's something a tad too familiar about it that keeps the brain trying to remember what it sounds like, rather than in enjoying what it actually sounds like!

The EP draws to a close with Stars, Plethora, I Adore which for its first four minutes acts as a neat summary of all that's gone before, albeit a gentler rumination, all this is careful preamble to a surge of distorted noise that introduces a trip-hop beat and pushes the lazy summer's day guitar up in the mix, creating a tranquil floating groove, like Mogwai taking in a sunset on the beach. It's a nice enough close to this warm, rich and textured record that only really suffers through comparison to the band's obvious influences; they're a talented bunch but need to bring a bit more of their individual personality to their otherwise grand and lovely compositions.