Reichenbach Falls - Reports of Snow

  by John Clarkson

published: 3 / 12 / 2013

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Review

"Baby, there is a goodbye coming," sings Abe Davies on 'Blessed Blush', one of the latter tracks on his band Reichenbach Falls' debut album, 'Reports of Snow'. Davies was born in Canada, but raised in England and spent time living in both Spain and Scotland before settling in Oxford a couple of years ago. A consortium, Reichenbach Falls consists of Davies (vocals and guitar) along with whoever he can get to play with him. Other musicians on 'Reports of Snow' include Rufus Thurston (backing vocals, percussion, keyboards), Richard Neuberg (guitars, mandolin, backing vocals), Ben Walker (keyboards), Robert McHardy (guitars), Mike de Albuquerque (guitar, bass, keyboards), Joe Bennett (bass, guitars) and Nick Simms (drums). It was co-produced by Thurston, who started recording music with Davies shortly after he moved to Oxford, along with Neuberg, who is the former front man with the much underrated Viarosa, and de Albuquerque, who is the son of former Electric Light Orchestra bass player Michael de Albuquerque. 'Reports of Snow' is a break-up album. Most break-up records focus on loss and what might have been, and there is that too on 'Reports of Snow'. Where Davies, however, sets himself apart and stretches far beyond this is both with a sly, absurdist sense of humour and also in a self-knowing understanding of the masochism that also often comes when a relationship ends. "I tell myself I like rejection/But I can't take it like I used to anymore," he whispers on 'Risky'. 'Reports of Snow' is also an exercise in restraint. There are times in which the music surges upwards, and one feels that Davies and his band are about to rock out such as on 'In the Wreckage'. There is always, however, a part of them which holds back, which never goes as fully down that path as they might, capturing as a result both the insularity of Davies' world and its cloying tensions. Davies has described Richard Buckner as a major influence, and he has a similarity to the Californian–born singer-songwriter both in his lyrical deftness and maudlin humour. While Reichenbach Falls' music is more folk pop-oriented, there is in its precision an element of Steely Dan as well. One feels that every note has been carefully weighed up in advance. Yet at the same time there is also a fluidity to it, and this is music that breathes. 'Drink and Drive' opens up the album with shimmering guitars and a stabbing keyboard line. "Suddenly I have become another victim of her," broods Davies. "She is just another way to drink and drive." ‘In the Wreckage’ is tight with tension, and, while its music surges upwards and it seems set to explode, that explosion never quite comes. It also contains some of Davies’ most poetic lyricism. “Such a cold day in December/It’s a miracle we burned at all,” he sings as an opening line against a backdrop of starkly bubbling keyboards. Then a bit later as other instruments starts to kick in – more keyboards, tingling guitars and a soft pattering of drum beat – he adds, “ I followed the smoke and sirens back to where we put ourselves to rest that last time.” At the end he concludes almost euphorically, “Search through the wreckage/Search through it all/We walk through the wreckage/It’s a miracle/A miracle,” and one is left thinking that he feels that it is a miracle, as this romance has meant so much to him, that both he and his ex had the time together that they did, but also that he has come out of it only as damaged as he is. All soft glistening keyboards and guitars, ‘Risky' is a light, poppy number, and nails that feeling that often comes, when a relationship is over, that any contact, even if it is another rejection, is better than no contact: “I wish you would call me tonight/And say I’m not coming out tonight/The weather is too high and I’m too low/And I can’t trust your mouth.” ‘Reports of Snow’ concludes with ‘In the Woods’, which starts with the eerie image of a girl lost in the woods and a search party trying to find her. As Davies, who is beginning to recover from the break-up, imagines her remaining unfound, he relates his situation to that of the absent girl, memories of his lost love like that of those who cared for the girl who chooses to remain missing also starting to fade and to become watered down. “This is the last time that I am giving her up,“ Davies concludes world-wearily. The music starts with a single chiming keyboard line, becomes suitably increasingly spooky and atmospheric in tone, and builds up to feature a brief harmonic vocal between Davies and guest vocalist, Hazel Sainsbury. As again it seems it is about to erupt, it fades away with a soft accordion solo, bringing to a close this thought-provoking and most emotionally taut of albums. Reichenbach Falls and Abe Davies’ literate and haunting blend of folk pop is outstanding. One of the undoubted Albums of the Year.

Track Listing:-

1 Drink & Drive
2 The Best I Could
3 Stay Home, Elizabeth
4 In The Wreckage
5 Under Their Feet
6 Risky
7 The Closed Colleges
8 Blinded By The Flash
9 Blessed Blush
10 Candles & Thread
11 In The Woods

Band Links:-

https://twitter.com/rbachfalls
http://www.reichenbachfallsband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ReichenbachFa
https://reichenbachfalls.bandcamp.com/