Crescent - By The Roads And The Fields

  by Jon Rogers

published: 12 / 7 / 2003

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Despite Crescent being in existence for almost 10 years this is only their fourth album. Fans must be used to having to wait around for something to happen by now. In fact, waiting around for something to happen sums up ‘By the Roads and the Fields’. For over 45 minutes nothing much happens. But like Saul Bellow’s ‘Dangling Man’ the drama is held within that empty space of inertia and inaction – which hangs suspended. There is nothing to do except wait. Crescent emerged from the Bristol post-rock scene that had the Planet Records label as its backbone and gave rise to bands such as Flying Saucer Attack, Movietone and Third Eye Foundation. Early releases on Planet were full of sprawling, lo-fi rage which then gave way to the four-piece experimenting with tape loops and electronics on 1997’s ‘Electronic Sound Constructions’. Now lassitude and resigned torpor dominate. Any urgency has been squeezed out completely. Songs shuffle along slowly – often going round in circles – as if they are burdened by world-weariness and cannot lighten the load. The 9-minute final track ‘Structure and Form’ could fit right in between ‘The Eternal’ and ‘Decades’; the final two tracks on Joy Division’s ‘Closer’. The tone is sombre and bleak, the pace eerie and painfully slow and Matt Jones’ voice (he really speaks rather than sings) is stark in its monotone greyness and hideously flat. The occasional squawl of a saxophone and the layering of spooky sound effects only compound the situation. Crescent explore the experience of being awake in the middle of the night in a strange house whilst listening to all the unfamiliar creaks and bangs that go on, despite everyone else being fast asleep. For the most part ‘By the Roads…’ is rather unsettling listening but its not all misery. ‘New Leaves’ carries the message: “I’ve seen the new leaves in the morning light/I’ve seen the opening buds in the dawn sun/And I was filled with so much hope.” Such moments are, though, only fleeting. Mostly, it’s like fighting a losing battle against the oncoming tide. The barriers eventually break and existential despair washes over you. ‘By the Roads and the Fields’ feels like a band that has yet to really fully realise their aesthetic vision on record. The album tinkers around with various experimental styles which incorporate elements of free jazz and modern classical composition but it ultimately passes by like a funeral procession. There are flashes of interest, as if alluding to things to come but this quickly fades as the dirge-like pace once again resumes.

Track Listing:-

1 Spring
2 New Leaves
3 Fountains
4 Straight Line
5 Mimosa
6 River Debris
7 Mica
8 Structure And Form

Label Links:-

http://www.fat-cat.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/FatCatRecords
http://fatcat-records.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/fatcatrecords
https://twitter.com/FatCatRecords

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