Dot Allison: Exaltation of Larks
Dot Allison returns with a third LP
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Monday, 10, Sep 2007 04:48
Cooking Vinyl, September 17th.
In a nutshell...
Rustic. Playful. Delicate. Passionate.
What's it all about?
Allison returns with a third LP after a period away from the limelight. Mostly it's a collection of psychedelic cuts that meander freely, via the scenic sights of the lady's mind. She dissects personal problems and uncertainties, drawing on numerous elements, such as the natural world and God for inspiration.
Once inside the walls of Exaltation of Larks the singer exorcises personal demons, with tracks that often seem to plummet to the extremes of her soul. Looking to uncover the very essence of love, loss and confusion, Allison has roped in the talents of Low cohort Kramer in an attempt to convey some of that taught spirit. Instruments rustled up to support the harmonies are diverse: violins, banjo, strings and flute.
Sometimes, over the course of ten recordings, this is successful, but at other points, time starts to stretch and drag.
Who's it by?
Hailing from Scotland, Dorothy Allison is notorious for the unconventional choices she makes in collaboration. Having worked with everyone from My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields to trip-hop maestros Massive Attack, she has a keen sense of abstract production. An appearance on minimal techno kings Slam's classic Visions also proved her electronic leanings.
Before hitting the solo road, she was involved with the early nineties synth-dub might-have-beens One Dove, with none other than Andrew Weatherall being called up for production duties. Despite this, Allison has never found consistent success, instead remaining on the periphery while others have prospered.
As an example.
"With the knowledge of decline but only in the sense of sunsets" - Sunset
"Don't we realise it's what we make it ... but you're choosing to drown" - You Dropped Your Soul
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Long-time admirers will no doubt lap up the heartfelt emotive drama, but it seems that the wider world will not be slain by this latest effort. Expect a few ripples from fans, but no thunder.
What the others say
"Exaltation of Larks draws on Vashti Bunyan and Sandy Denny's world-weary melancholia and leaves traces of Dusty Springfield." - Martin Aston, The Times
"Sadly, while it may be aimed at that most vital of organs it doesn't hit. It's a kidney-bruiser, at best" - Tim Lee, Musicomh.com.
So is it any good?
An album of cold and light, with many contradictions, Exaltation... is hard to pinpoint. While Allison's lush soundscapes often threaten to explode, there's a level of restraint that seems to hold her back vocally. Known for splicing vocals all over the shop, such psychedelic energy reverberates throughout.
The problem is it is hard to fully embrace the selection of rustic laments, mainly because the potential never quite peaks. On tunes such as Thief of Me, violins vie with Dot's tones for centre stage, strung together with rising riffs and the notion of impending revelry. Likewise, pianos crash and blur from view on Allelujah and In Deep Water, in which the spectre of Sinead O'Connor enlivens the frame.
But the weaknesses rein it all back in. Small flourishes are not enough to drive the backdraught of Tall Flowers and Sunset, where the bucolic seeds peek out but don't blossom. It's only on The Latitude and Longitude of Mystery and You Dropped Your Soul - full of cosmic orchestral snapshots - that Allison really begins to shed her skin.
6/10
John Maher