James Brewster - As A Hovering Insect Mass Breaks Your Fall

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 4 / 3 / 2011

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Review

A vocal artist and an experimentalist, James Brewster puts together his ingenious little rhymes with the idea of creating lovely soundscapes for them. The album is ridden with drama and suspense while its title implies an experience of biblical proportions. This album does bring that; the multi-layered vocals evoke disorientation like new age music can. A touch of insect horror comes on the disturbed electronics of the second track 'Vraikan Sundan' and in its course, follows 'Landfall' before 'Crumbling Spires' bring down any sense of elevation. It is angelic like the Durutti Column once sounded, 'As A Hovering Insect Mass Breaks Your Fall' embraces you with its sweet charm and covert sobriety. The sparse instrumentation works very well until the last echo of a cowbell at the close of 'As A Hovering Insect Mass Breaks Your Fall'. Unadventurous and still a bit of a challenge.

Track Listing:-

1 Vel Kvonen
2 Vraikan Sundan
3 Landfall
4 Crumbling Spires
5 Wingbeat Fission
6 Your Life Was But A Trick Of The Light