Here at perpetually-lazy DIY
label Broken Tail Records, we don't get out of bed and release records for just
anyone. We do, however, get out of bed for Quiet Quiet Band.
Originally the solo project of Paul Smith, he of
Reading's rock never-rans Heartwear Process, Quiet Quiet Band grew from
an initial idea of basic solo home recordings of whisper-quiet songs with a revolving
roster of backing musicians into an intense six-piece collective, of which 'Flatlands'
is the first true taster. We're not quite sure exactly how it evolved in such a
way, and we're not sure that Smith is either, but after roping in a couple of previous
bandmates, some work colleagues and a former death metal bassist, the QQB
project was eventually transformed from a collection of hissing tape demos to
rousing folk songs.
In advance of a debut album due out at the tail
end of 2012, this initial recording of 'Flatlands' is a step away from
the Bad Seeds influence of their previous incarnations, drawing strengths
instead from the likes of 16 Horsepower, Sparklehorse and Robert
Wyatt amongst others. It goes beyond that though: three and four part harmonies
come as standard, occasionally breaking down into something more chaotic, or
perhaps a slew of ever-building choruses peaking into some intense viola
wig-out.
If that's not the first time you've read the
phrase “viola wig-out” this week, the music world is in trouble.
But this isn't the am-dram, bright-eyed epic pop
of Arcade Fire, and it packs more punch (for us) than the likes of Fleet Foxes.
This sound has probably seen too many Irish drinking songs, or harks to the
blues-folk storytelling drama of Johnny Flynn's circa 2008, and maybe the
broken, ill-intentioned parts of every great Modest Mouse song more than it
does to any of the other folk collectives of recent years, and whilst 'Flatlands'
is probably the most morally-peaceful offering possible for a band whose love
songs normally consist of someone's demise, even that's promptly followed by a
lounging tale of icy death (see b-side 'Fingers').
With a powerful live show honed over the past
couple of years including recent supports to Young Knives and Emmy
the Great, QQB are armed well for 2012. Expect murder ballads.
Praise for Quiet
Quiet Band:
“.. utterly piss on any supposed competition.. [a] frenzied blend of
modern folk that you wouldn’t bet against in a punch-up with the blackest of Swedish
death metal bands”
-
Rambliks
“powerful, neatly constructed harmonies and sassy country-folk.. Are
they quiet? Absolutely not. Do your ears need to be exposed to them
immediately? Definitely.”
-
Reading Chronicle
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