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[one_half last=”yes”]DRY THE RIVER
Blonde
Release-Date: 25.08.2014
Label: Transgressive
Tracklist:
01. Alarms in the Heart
02. Hidden Hand
03. Roman Candle
04. Med School
05. It Was Love That Laid Us Low
06. Gethsemane
07. Everlasting Light
08. Rollerskate
09. Vessel
10. Hope Diamond
NBHAP Rating: 3/5
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Ethereal landscapes
Rolling plains, tumbling water, the ooze of lava from the rock, the feeling of bare toes between granules of sand; it’s all here in Alarms in the Heart. A delicacy balanced by undercurrents of sheer rumbling force, this record is a microcosm of lands distant. And it isn’t a complete surprise, considering that the album was written and recorded in the magical heart of Iceland.
Complexity of composition
Alarms in the Heart benefits substantially from the arrangements and strings on the album, thanks to Valgeir Sigurðsson (SIGUR RÓS, BJÖRK). His input is what breathes wind into the sails, charting the record across more detailed and attentive waters. It makes for a record tinged with a real flourish.
Pop aesthetic
At the end of the day, this is a very accessible record. Perhaps this is due to the input of producers Charlie Hugall (FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE, ED SHEERAN), Paul Savage (FRANZ FERDINAND) and Peter Miles; it’s clean, polished to the point where you can almost see your own reflection in it. It makes for a pretty record, certainly; though some listeners may find it a little wanting for real juice.
‘Alarms in the Heart’ by DRY THE RIVER is a beautiful dove-swoon of a record; buffed and shaped to a precise form, it’s sure to find a wide and receptive audience.
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