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AND ALSO THE TREES - "WHEN THE RAINS COME"
by George Georgiou (song292@yahoo.gr)



An isolated sad tone, like the fragile sound of a mourning bird, pulls the macabre coach of the new "Virus Meadow": the classic, heavy, black legend of the plague sounds richer in simple and distinctive details, strongly building an uphill slope of escaping death. Poisoned beauty grows the tension and somehow deserts the protagonist under a baroque, rustic sky, filled with drama and beauty. All this ends with the tender, naked transformation of "Dialogue" into a warm dreamy ballad of visions and memories. A clear horizon of devotion starts to complete the pieces of this new acoustic trip through the years and the tales of AATT. Sometimes the vision is surprisingly daring as the swinging "Fighting In A Lighthouse" wears a different costume, turns to something new and finally leads us elsewhere to invent different impressions. A long distance stands also for the new "A Room Lives In Lucy", when the fierce and the pressure of years gone by have been gently replaced by a sly, lurking patience opening unknown holes to the surface of the song and planting fine smooth traps for our ears. Extremely moving songs are also set in this acoustic album to keep the traveling spirit alive, so we meet again the haunted spirit of "The Dust Sailor", the restless wandering of "Jacob Fleet'-with an excellent bare orchestration uncovering every single trace of melody line-,the rural mystery of "Mermen Of The Lea" and the misty but not easily forgotten echo of "The Street Organ". The links finally meet locking up an album wisely homogenius, an album with a faithful portrait against time, easily ending to become a perfect sample of our times for people willing to know about the band. The old songs prove to have a wise depth, not only as themes for tales rearranged, but also as pure compositions willing to be driven in new clearings: in any case, the precious spirit of important details in life itself, the wandering senses of human looking for the beauty of a world slowly fading, and the poetic dignity of sharing the scars of our restless souls with the countless frames of nature, all of them are here supported also by a nostalgic artwork. Old fellows will dig deep for the only new track "When The Rains Come", a suitable epilogue for one more pure, deep and sensitive piece of art at the long AATT catalogue...

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DOVES - KINGDOM OF RUST
by George Georgiou (song292@yahoo.gr)



Doves have always kept their modest shadows in the noiseless part of Manchester. Poor of scandals, cheap publicity and gossip stimulations, they have always proved themselves to be rich in consistency and creation of gentle and honest pop music. Getting back since 2005's "Some Cities", they had to clear their dim, hesitant, a little dizzy and tired but never indifferent horizon. The british trio had always built a strong and private basis, capable to combine a crowd of outer influences and end to daring, honest, interesting and-above all-original songs. "Kingdom Of Rust"reveals an air of determination blowing from the first moments as "Jetstream" grows fresh and certain in a rich dance rock canal, an electronic impressive opener, obviously warming up a New Order tradition. Title track begins already a hyperclassic, a delicate brief road movie, armed with clear melody lines of dignified melancholy. A well crafted memory obsession leads to one of the most inspired tracks, beautiful and flowing "Winter hill", and behind its nostalgic value, it proves at the same time all this special work they have done upon their primitive conceptions. Such kind of intension reveals surprising evolutions in the characteristic example of "10:03", or the interrupting expectations of "The Great Denier" always changing directions. "Spellbound" somehow turns around a newer version of "The Man Who Told Everything" finally melting in dangerous beauty ... "Compulsion" flies over Blondie's clear impression and balances skillfully between rhythm and feeling. Outro "Lifelines" grows step by step haunting consistent crescendos to the fact that it's hard to make sense each single day... But even if it is so, they have no cheap drama or attractive tragedy set for us. Doves have once more kept the distance from certain, obvious sentiment as they always used to respect their conceptions beyond tricks, risks, influences and decisions: deep and simple at the same time they have the skill to drive their harmonies in the noiseless part of expressions ... as they exactly do with their lives.