On the same day recently I got two separate pitches for projects from members of Spinning Coin. I had no idea the band was no more. Rather than feel sad about that fact, I dove into the records, and am happy to say that both are wonderful. Today's featured album is by Sean Armstrong. Velvet Ever After doesn't sound entirely like his work in Spinning Coin, but it's a wonderful collection of music, and one which mines a similar vein of happy-sad indie as that band did so well.
Velvet Ever After mixes folk touches with chamber pop and the results here are uniformly elegant and affecting. The breathtakingly beautiful "Sewed the Winter to the Wall" reveals that maybe Tim Buckley was an inspiration for Sean, while "The Wilderness is a Part of You" is more delicate still. This one has an elegance that is striking, as the opening strums are gradually embellished by keyboards and Sean's warm vocals. The vibe here is a tiny bit like "Easter Parade" from the first Blue Nile record, though the actual sound is quite a bit different.
While there are moments on Velvet Ever After where an astute listener might find a hint of the sound of Sean's earlier band, like in the rev-ups of "For the Feeling", most of this release is given to numbers which are indie, but which are also ones in debt to material from Seventies-era pioneers like Nick Drake, Laura Nyro, and Robert Wyatt. "Occupied Moon", for example, with just Sean's voice and piano carrying the tune, is exquisite. This is the sort of deliberately structured music that while heartfelt, is not sappy or overdone. Armstrong uses a nearly minimalist approach in spots on the record, and the result is material which has a kind of quiet, arresting force. Not only that, but the ballads are uniformly beautiful. Very highly recommended.
Velvet Ever After by Sean Armstrong is out now via Rehberge Records. Details below.
[Photo: Rachel Taylor]