Shield Patterns - Contour Lines

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 15 / 7 / 2014

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Review

‘Contour Lines’, the debut album from Manchester duo Shield Patterns, has been around since the beginning of the summer so our review is a little late but there’s a good reason for that. Initial listens revealed little more than the fact that if T-Bone Burnett heard the album he’d have a possible ready-made soundtrack for the next season of 'True Detective' if it were going to haunt the same dark shadows as the first season. ‘Contour Lines’, despite collecting glowing reviews, just wasn’t making a whole lot of sense on the first few plays. For an ultra-modern collection of electronica there were, uniquely, odd traces of a tune flitting in and out of some of the tracks and vocalist Claire Brentnall certainly captured the listener’s attention but something was missing. There have been so many great albums released so far this year that if an album from a new band doesn’t hit home within a few plays it tends to get forgotten about, but there was something about this music that Brentnall, along with Richard Knox, created that compels you to return to it time and time again without actually understanding why. Those movie soundtrack thoughts slowly give way to an obvious Kate Bush fronting Portishead feeling, but still it’s felt there’s something more lingering under the surface of this mysterious, often gloomy music. Eventually, and it does take some time, the beauty of Knox’s atmospheric electronica reveals itself. While the icy cool of Brentnall’s vocals ultimately displays the emotion and passion that was felt to be missing on the first few plays, it’s really when the listener is accustomed to Knox’s dark ambient soundscapes that the whole project comes together. There’s a hypnotic quality to Brentnall’s whispered vocals. On tracks such as ‘Ghost Words’ they are almost sensual and when coupled with Knox’s more structured tunes there’s less of the doom and gloom; the darkness which prevails over the album is almost lifted with the sweetness Knox conjures out of his synthetic beats and soundscapes, making its mark as the third song on the album it’s the first indication that this duo have the ability to create haunting, mesmerising music that sets them apart from other electronica projects. The set has been produced by Knox and Brentnall. The duo have given these ten songs space to breathe and develop. They’ve bathed minimalism with such a warm glow that they truly have created a sound (almost) entirely of their own. There are songs that take some considerable time to appreciate. ‘The Rule’ actually features an outstanding vocal contribution from Brentnall, her ghostly whispers hanging off Knox’s heavy, droning musical landscape. There’s a feeling that the disturbed beauty in her vocals should have been shrouded in more light on initial listens but this soon passes, once again as time will prove, the duo have worked together to produce another unsettling but ultimately rewarding piece of music. ‘Present State’ is another track where the duo’s more experimental, industrial tendencies make a showing, Brentnall’s at times seemingly wordless vocals adding even more menace to the soundscape Knox is busily building. ‘Contour Lines’ is an album worth your time and it’s going to take some to really understand this talented duo’s musical vision. It’s not an album to jump in and out of; it needs, and deserves, to be listened to as a whole, in one sitting preferably using headphones and when you are alone. It demands your attention, and if you can go the distance and see beyond the gloominess that envelops the album you will discover a work of tarnished beauty that, along with Brentnall’s unique and haunting vocals will stay with you long after the last sounds have faded away. Grower of the year so far.

Track Listing:-

1 Shade
2 Carve the Dirt
3 Ghost Words
4 Dust Hung Heavy
5 The Rule
6 Dead Air
7 Present State
8 Ruby Red
9 WeYouMe
10 Charon

Band Links:-

https://twitter.com/shieldpatterns
http://www.shieldpatterns.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ShieldPattern

Label Links:-

http://www.gizehrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/gizehrecords
https://twitter.com/gizehrecords