this time of year in my part of the world we are usually cold, tucked in neatly under our covers and cowering in front of our space heaters soaking up all the warmth we can get. i can tell you, as i sit here, my house is at least 100 years old, which means that over those many years wood has shifted, cracks have expanded, and insulation wasn’t a thought in our forefathers’ minds when the house was built. in short, it’s cold inside and out.
usually, my taste in music is dictated by the seasons. for instance, in the winter you can find me embracing my desolate surroundings with wondrous ambient music by the likes of say, Stars of the Lid, or, more recently, Peter Broderick, who has generously offered up a free download of his excellent European Tour EP. winter brings a sustained hush over all that i do. it’s a fact that when you receive very little sunlight over a period of time, it affects your genuine outlook on life. whether you wake up ready to begin the day or struggle to toss the sheets off, the temperature in your home plays an important role in that decision. winter also has a way, through forced migration, of increased reflection, and records such as Goldmund’s new ep entitled Two Point Discrimination is perfect for your slumber.
following up from his 7″ release, The Heart of High Places, which consisted of 6 short piano pieces, goldmund a.k.a. keith kenniff, otherwise known as helios, concocts a wonderful collection of 11 short pieces that each manage to create nuanced little worlds in which to inhabit. each piece sounds painfully constructed with delicate and subtle movements over the keys. as one song flows into the next, our ears are so close to kenniff’s piano that you can hear the tufts of cotton tamp the strings. a friend of mine likened the sound of the record to being swallowed up by the piano, where every little noise you hear is amplified to the power of ten. if you want the creaking of the piano bench, the smell of the varnish, or the sustained shake of the foot pedals, it’s all here. goldmund uses the piano as a conduit to the heart, every note is accounted for and never wasted. i’d be hard pressed to find a record that reaches the level of intimacy that Two Point Discrimination does. you can share in its warmth while you’re cosying up next to your heater and wondering when the ice will melt.
on the opposite side of the spectrum, if you’re looking for a record to immediately break you from your slumber. a record to shatter the ice, warm the spirit, and impress your friends at your annual holiday gathering, Alison Statton by Pants Yell! should no doubt do the trick. i was already familiar with Pants Yell! through last year’s release entitled Recent Drama, which was a quick exercise in pop songs that do not last longer than 3 minutes and raises the question of whether or not they should in the first place. this familiarity, however, did not prepare me for the giant step forward that is Alison Statton. this name may be recognizable to some as one-third of the legendary Young Marble Giants. statton is also well-known for fronting the short-lived and sadly under-appreciated Weekend, as well as releasing records on excellent labels such as Les Disques du Crepuscule (their Ghosts of Christmas Past collection is great for this time of year by the way) and Vinyl Japan under her full name that have been re-released on the wonderful LTM record label.
complete with a horn section and embracing the recipe of jazz-pop fusion, Pants Yell! seem to draw more inspiration from Statton’s Weekend records than the YMG minimalist aesthetic. though the songs tend towards the sub-3 minute mark, each song is filled to the brim with melody. there is a pervading sense of youthful exuberance running throughout each song, with wry and witty lyrics that put a smile on even the most curmudgeon fellows.
