North Atlantic Explorers - Skylines

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 24 / 7 / 2005

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Glenn D’Cruze is one of a long list of George Harrison figures, who step out from a band in which they were mainly a member of the support cast and emerge with songs and musical ideas of their own. D’Cruze has drummed for many Vancouver based acts, but he now captains the North Atlantic Explorers, a collective boasting 15 members. The name of the band is no accident. North Atlantic Explorers make the kind of drifting, dreamy music best suited to long journeys. The ten tracks, though subtly varied, achieve a calm consistency of tone with seemingly little effort. The effect is usually achieved by layering a number of repeated instrumental lines over one another, and adding hushed vocals over the top. There is plenty of room for the songs to breathe, and for beautiful violin and piano parts to strike you. This music, being as it is largely slow and revolving around drawn out instrumental passages, has a similar appeal as post rock and slow core, but in fact on tracks like 'Blue Moon on the Rise' it is closer to being country. The themes are unashamedly romantic, and with a style of music one might term ‘accessibly experimental Americana tinged indie’ - (now, that’s a scene set to explode!) - this is an album to file next to Mercury Rev’s ‘Deserter’s Songs’. There are some beautiful passages of music on this disc, pieces worth hearing over and over again. Perhaps, however, there is no truly great song yet the high concentration of slow songs with long instrumental passages suggests the performers realise this, and the band make some simple songs (like the pretty ‘Sweetheart’) sound very impressive indeed. An album for lovers of lush arrangements of sad, quiet songs. Very nice.

Track Listing:-

1 When My Ship Comes In
2 Blue Moon On the Rise
3 I Will Not Leave You Alone
4 Sundrenched
5 Anchors Away
6 Sweetheart
7 Aerial View
8 Tonight You Belong to Me
9 Springtime
10 Coast Starlight

Band Links:-

http://www.northatlanticexplorers.com/
https://www.facebook.com/northatlanticexplorers

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