Review by Jason Barnard
Through misfortune and the stars not aligning it’s an occasional occurrence that music deserved of a mass audience just doesn’t quite break through. Many would argue that whimsical Welsh psychedelists Soft Hearted Scientists fall into this category. Hopefully their new album, The Slow Cyclone, which continues their run of marvelous records, will right that wrong.
The Slow Cyclone is a song suite of 24 tracks grouped together in four parts of six. It includes a series of short instrumental interludes to bring a true album feel that you don’t often get with the pick’n’mix iTunes generation. Sonically it pays repeated listening too as if you listen carefully you’ll hear coughs, birds and and cardboard percussion adding to the feel of an afternoon nap.
But ultimately a record lives and dies by it’s melodies and they are there in spades. Just take the mid-tempo ‘The Ups and the Downs’ for instance. Its jaunty acoustics and choral backing syncs with its peerless refrain and stream of historical references (including Basil Rathbone and Alexander the Great) to reinforces its lyrical theme.
However the Soft Hearted Scientists are equally adapt at matters of life and death. Just one listen of ‘Cobra Clouds’ and ‘Before I Was Born’ show they work on a range of levels.
[tubepress video=zsTOBz-5hFw]
The Slow Cyclone is a truly excellent record and will be fondly remembered for much more than a while. Available from 22 September:
