Laroca: Valley of the Bears
Laroca: Valley of the Bears
Also In The News
|
Rob Hurst on the fourth release from a US garage rock trio who are, apparently, 'it'. |  |
Monday, 29, Jun 2009 04:08
Just Music, out now.
In a nutshell...
Atmospheric. Well-observed. Relaxing. Excellent.
What's it all about?
There's been a few times when a solid artist has slipped under the radar. Many of them get good write-ups too, though sometimes they don't get the publicity they may deserve. Laroca seems to be one of them, with Valley of the Bears being their second full release.
Who's it by?
Rob Pollard and Olly Wakeford, the two Brits behind this effort, met in the mid 90s, with the pair having a classically-trained background encompassing pianos and flutes while singer-songwriter abilities were also brought to the table. After hitting the computer to hack apart previous recordings and put them together in way they saw fit, Laroca have experienced somewhat justified success on a more independent label.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Bands like this never get the credit they deserve, though if they had a shot at a soundtrack (similar to Air's effort with The Virgin Suicides), they could be onto a winner in terms of awards.
What the others say
"There is some fantastic musicianship here, but oboe, sax and drums alike are denied a spotlight and sadly robbed of their potential by overzealous manipulation after the fact. The effect is an album doubtless more fun to perform than to hear." - Keira Burgess, BBC Music.
"It delivers powerful cinematic qualities that transport you easily to a variety of places, a strong European influence, and enough interesting sounds to see you through a chilled out/reflective summer's day." - Lauren John, Music.co.uk.
So is it any good?
The world of synthesised music has largely been torn asunder by bars and nightclubs across the globe, playing any old remixes or new so-called 'hooj choons' to rip the heart out of the good side of the industry.
Luckily, Laroca are steering the sinking ship to dry land, cleverly crafting an album that not only brings a level of ambience back into our lives but also remembers that, despite everything, life's actually pretty good.
It's easy to pick out the better songs from the start: for example, Elevator Tester seems to be the winning tune on the album. It sets out to encapsulate exactly what it means to, though there's a much deeper level to it than a simple muzak track; it's more involving, well written and effortlessly performed.
It has too many crossovers with other successful artists, without stealing anything, to be anything other than masterful. It opens like a main menu from a Wipeout game on the PlayStation, developing indirect references to Kraftwerk's Tour de France and Air's Premieres Symptomes along the way.
Eerie, on the other hand, is able to both oppose and complement Elevator Tester with its placement immediately after it. It's more edgy, quick and enjoyable. The bass is much heavier and could easily fit into an action sequence of a Guy Ritchie film, with loops of saxophones and oboes lending themselves to the escalation of excitement the song brings about.
The album's title track, Valley of the Bears, also creates an image to follow. It's not quite danger yet not jaunty enough to make the bears seem like cartoon characters who love and care for everything. Who knows? It may only be a name for the song and has nothing to do with what Laroca are trying to portray. If this is the case, it's even better; the music seems so pliable that it's hard not to imagine any imagery the band puts forward.
Other numbers are able to really pick up the pace, however. Yallah Andalucia could be in any spaghetti western and while this generalisation can underwrite Laroca's best intentions, it's still genuinely fun to listen to. It's not massively original, yet the great use of Spanish guitar, clapping and skilful bass give it conviction.
The opening track, Brassic, conveys farce first and foremost through piano and a Jewish-sounding beat. It's another song you'll be sure you've heard before, and yet it remains solid.
This seems to be the only major criticism of Laroca during Valley of the Bears; originality does not seem to be top of the agenda, even though the album is great. It doesn't seem to be a conscious decision to bring much of the same, though - it's refined and relaxing. Just listening to it will diffuse any ill-will against the duo.
Pluck and, in particular, Home are two great tracks to end the compilation. It makes the album as a whole feel complete, even though the songs are substantial enough to be listened to on their own. Although it's hard to listen to anything with birdsong in without feeling relaxed, Home's overall tones are not reliant on this and the piano is the star, even though repetition is essentially what gives the tune its form.
Sit in a darkened room and put this on from start to finish. Clear your mind. Don't let anything external affect your experience of the music. If you do this, it's easy to guarantee that you'll really get something from this album. It may not be hugely consistent nor is it hugely enlightening, yet there are a number of real gems in this release.
Air have long-dominated this genre of relatively-unrecognised computer-manufactured bliss. Unluckily for them - and luckily for us - Laroca could be a new challenger.
9/10
Matt Gardner