Damon And Naomi - False Beats and True Hearts

  by Andrew Carver

published: 30 / 6 / 2011

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Review

Damon and Naomi show some things do get better with age. Twenty years after the split of Galaxie 500, and four after the release of ‘Within These Walls’, a triumph of lush songcraft, the duo have returned with another gorgeous effort. The band’s dreamy take on folk and pop is reminiscent of the work of English folk rockers in a range from the Incredible String Band to Sandy Denny. They hit the ground running for the striking opener ‘Walking Backwards’, where Michio Kurihara of Ghost (and sometime Boris collaborator) contributes some fuzz-laden guitar solos that manage to be piercing without overwhelming Damon’s placid vocals. Naomi’s gentle coo and piano are the focus of ‘How Do I Say Goodbye?’, the plangent tale of a farewell to an indifferent lover. It’s complemented by ‘Shadow Boxing’, with some of Kurihara’s trademark e-bow work putting the tale on Naomi’s pleas for domestic peace. ‘Ophelia’ gives Damon a chance to be an enigmatic seducer, while Naomi recounts a dififcult, metaphorical journey by a confused young maiden through a forest tangled with ‘Nettles and Ivy’. Their voices also provide an enchanting blend on ‘What She Brings’. Over nine tunes, they and their accompanists create a tender dreamworld of songcraft that should entrance any fan of their previous work, and fans of psychedelic folk in general.

Track Listing:-

1 Walking Backwards
2 How Do I Say Goodbye
3 Shadow Boxing
4 Ophelia
5 Nettles And Ivy
6 What She Brings
7 Embers
8 And You Are There
9 Helsinki

Label Links:-

http://www.brokenhorse.co.uk/