North Atlantic Oscillation: Grappling Hooks
North Atlantic Oscillation: Grappling Hooks
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Friday, 19, Mar 2010 04:19
By Matt Gardner.
Kscope, out March 22nd.
In a nutshell.
The kind of music you expect your dreams to be choreographed to.
What's it all about?
It's the debut album for North Atlantic Oscillation, following a successful EP launch last year. It follows the release of single Drawing Maps From Memory, which came out earlier this month.
Who's it by?
Sam Healy, Ben Martin and Bill Walsh met in Edinburgh but represent a diverse British background. Taking their name from a natural phenomenon of the climate which accounts for the clash between hot and cold weather, the guys believe it represents their approach. After "cold-calling record companies via email", North Atlantic Oscillation finally got their big break.
Otherwise, the guys would likely not be around. Sam explains: "You get so immersed in the music that I knew that if we left it any longer, I wouldn't maintain enthusiasm long enough to commit them to recordings."
So is it any good?
It's such a strange experience, listening to North Atlantic Oscillation (who will hereby be referred to as NAO as a matter of saving a lot of time). The interaction with the music seems stunted and tough on the first listen, though when you get underneath it all after a couple more sessions, it all becomes clear - NAO are actually pretty damn good.
The promotional bumpf surrounding their media launch refers to them in the same breath as Grandaddy, Wayne Coyne and (gasp!) Pink Floyd. Truth is, NAO are none of these. The easiest band names to hand that are much easier to compare are Air (more from the 10,000Hz Legend album than any other) and, perhaps more strangely, David Holmes. There's a different level of ambience working with the band, and despite the best work of the PR to disguise this fact, it wins through.
Picking separate tunes on this album is completely pointless; after all, the almost ethereal use of miscellaneous sounds - which underline how NAO's sound is as indescribable as their instruments - means that it all kinda melts into one.
The truth is, this could be rated anywhere between five and nine out of ten, so it's best to go right in the middle; the beauty (and perhaps downfall) is that it matures in one way or another each time you listen to it. Sometimes the floating basslines, ghostly singing and keen melodies inspire and complement mood, sometimes even changing it. At other times, it comes off as a bit hard to embrace, unconvincing or even pretentious.
Either way, you'll have to get the full album; one track alone won't do these guys too much justice.
7/10