Flare: Hung (CD on Le Grand Magistery)

Band: Flare
Label: Le Grand Magistery
Title: Hung

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Band:Flare
Title:Hung
Reviewed By:Jonjo McNeill
Date Published:04/09/2003

Label:Le Grand Magistery
Format:CD
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New York duo Flare sound like they’ve slept through the recent surge of ‘garage’ bands to emerge from their hometown. My initial impression was "What the fuck? !", as the twelve tracks here don’t seem to share too much in the way of anything! Yet it was this diversity which endeared the album to me.

Vocalist LD Beghtol has a raw, touching voice, the most obvious comparison being Belle & Sebastian. And the similarities continue with the quirky nature of the songs. Overall a slow paced, downbeat album, there is a simple beauty to songs such as ‘If / Then’ ("If I ever shaved my beard / Would you never shed a tear?") and ‘The Way We Live Now’, an ode to a relationship already doomed.

The LP is full of ideas. There’s all manner of strange noises, bizarre electronic instrumentation and offbeat backing vocals. Even the cover is fascinating, featuring a variety of interesting work by members of the local arts scene. As you listen you can picture the album’s players sat around an arty bar, smoking cigarettes and discussing this year’s Turner prize. ‘Hung’ is an album of great beauty, great imagination and great originality. And it’s an album , should you sample, you’ll find of great quality, and I’m sure you’ll return to for years to come. Excellent.

Track Listing:

01) All The Money's Gone
02) School Of New York
03) Like Is A Very Strong Word
04) If / Then
05) Once Borrowed
06) Incident At St Andrews Falls
07) Keep It To Youself
08) Obvious
09) The Way We Live Now
10) Glitter
11) Differently Othered
12) Wound Culture

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329 Posted By: Noland (East Sussex)

Little known outside their New York home, this band is just beginning to make their mark here. I first discovered Flare on Dreamy Records' enchanting "Wish on a Star" compilation, then quickly sought out the CHICKFACTOR "Mix Tape 1" compilation where they share disc space with Pipas, Magnetic Fields, The Clientele and other genius acts. Everything Flare releases is thoughtful, dreamy and beautifully tragic. And, I am happy to report, often terribly funny. HUNG sports the best of both: from the tragicomic “Way We Live Now" to the shivery sadness of "Glitter" and "Incident," singer Beghtol's voice is terriffic and the production is epic. Add to that the band's exquisite instrumentation (fantastic strings, ukes, wobbly piano, bowed saws and something called a Marxophone) and you get quite a treat. Flare is like Godspeed with vocals or Low let loose in the Ashmolean. If Flare ever break out of the indie ghetto (or the long shadow of their pal, Stephin Merritt), they just might become huge stars. Buy this record now and hurry home to Flare's literate, twilight world of wonder.

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Endearing second album from New York duo, Flare, reminiscent partly of Belle & Sebastian, but which carries it own originality and beauty

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Hung - CD
Endearing second album from New York duo, Flare, reminiscent partly of Belle & Sebastian, but which carries it own originality and beauty

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