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[one_half last=”yes”]BLUENECK
King Nine
Release-Date: 07.11.2014
Label: Denovali Records
Tracklist:
01. Counting Out
02. Sirens
03. King Nine
04. Man Of Lies
05. Broken Fingers
06. Father, Sister
07. Spiderlegs
08. Mutatis
09. Anything Other Than Breathing
NBHAP Rating: 4/5
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As the Millennium hit, the British Prog Rock band BLUENECK formed and, almost a decade and a half on, in a century of social media and 24 hour news, they are still a powerful yet elusive presence on the European experimental scene. Originating from Somerset, BLUENECK’s grounded surroundings have helped them develop their music outside the industry limelight. By willingly situating themselves in a remote position, BLUENECK create extremely personalised performances, be they live or in a studio. Duncan Attwood, the vocalist, recently expressed the band’s unwillingness to simply reproduce their sound on every live performance. The same is clearly true of their album recordings. Focussing upon diversity and experimentation within each song, the result is that BLUENECK develop an individualised sound that still has a deep connection with its fans.
BLUENECK‘s latest album, King Nine, opens to an intense piano intro and vocal harmonies that expresses a greater depth than some of their earlier work. The album continues in this vein. While prior albums such as Repetitions and Epilogue are softer, more brooding works, King Nine, as their newest album, declares a willingness to embrace heavier, rock influences than before. Man of Lies, a track that owes as much to Prog Rock as to earlier synth compilations, stands out as a signal to BLUENECK‘s most prominent attempt to simultaneously build on and deviate from their prior albums. It retains the same, individualised male vocals while playing with new techniques, like a very prominent synth, to create a more intriguing, layered track.
Photo by Alx Leeks
In the hands of many other bands, the intense lyrics of tracks such as Broken Fingers may seem forced in their poetic feeling. The opener of “I drill holes in myself” may, indeed, be a bit nauseatingly emotional to many listeners. However, for BLUENECK, the genuine nature of the emotions expressed in these words are consolidated and affirmed by extraordinarily emotive vocals. Similarly, other musicians, when working with such a concise piano melody may create a repetitive piece; BLUENECK, by contrast, utilises its simplicity to create a powerfully considered piece. As if to truly highlight the diversity in their abilities, BLUENECK situate Broken Fingers in parentheses between the synth-driven Man of Lies and the heavier, rock track, Father, Sister. A band ever keen to experiment and gear off in several directions, they consistently demonstrate their successful rendering of many different genres.
Because the band refuse to seek the oversaturation that so many groups turn to, from album to album, their sound develops in new and surprising ways. The thought that has been put into every track of King Nine is clear from the opening chord to the last. Both through their refusal to step too far into the media’s glare and their highly personalised end product, BLUENECK consistently demonstrate their willingness to pause and reflect, creating something truly unique. Their work is both identifiably their own and extraordinarily engaging to listen to. What may have appeared mere, quiet ramblings, under the guidance of BLUENECK transforms into developed, minimalist melodies and pensive lyrics. The album, in its entirety, is diverse and deep; although, clearly not intended as a crowd-pleaser, it may certainly become one.
Thanks to their strong desire to gear off in several directions, BLUENECK’s ‘King Nine’ most definitely has become a unique, diverse and deep listening experience.
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