Morton Valence have been around since the mid 00s and have almost been on the verge of making it ever since. They were selected as music chain Fopp’s most promising newcomers of 2006, were tipped by the Guardian in 2007 and Chandelier, this album’s majestic opener, was a BBC Radio 2 Single of the Week last year. They also released possibly the best single you’ve never heard of the past decade, Sailors, a full-fat slice of hook-rich electro-pop.
The big time may still elude them after this, their debut album, but it is a fine example of classic, intelligent British art pop. Accompanied with a 112-page romantic novella, Bob and Veronica Ride Again is an immense, well-made record that sounds far bigger than its budget.
Funded by the group selling shares last year (those who contributed have their names in the booklet), it sounds like a proper old LP, with a beginning a middle and an end.
Loosely speaking, the concept involves Veronica getting on a London tube train and attempting to escape from her past. She heads for glory with her partner, Bob. For 40 minutes, we follow their exploits, falling down staircases, camping in fields of crickets, and swinging from the chandeliers, remembering that they “believe in lust at first sight.”
Whether you find all this piffle or not, the music behind it is pretty sharp. The band’s sound has shifted from their early singles from electro-pop to broader, sweeping shoegazing pop. Leader Robert ‘Hacker’ Jessett has moved away from the lion’s share of lead vocals and allowed keyboard player Anne Gilpin to take centre stage. Her delicate, emotive style is complemented by Jessett’s growl.
Funny Peculiar hints at the synthesiser origins of the band, with its increasing force and Jessett’s ‘let it rain all over me’ refrain. At least three of the tracks, Ordinary Pleasures, Chandelier and Falling Down The Stairs would be worthy of a best of the year compilation.
Although Morton Valence may end up the way of all classic two-word high-concept bands (you know, Fat Truckers, Earl Brutus, Regular Fries, Beta Band), there is a chance with Bob And Veronica Ride Again they could go that extra mile. Let’s hope so.
After listening to this album several times I’m convinced that nothing else as moving, charming and wonderful will be released in 2009. Neither will there be another release financed by fans through selling shares of the album. The boxed version of the album I received comes with a 100 plus page story book as this album is a 40 minute musical narrative about the ultimate coupling of Bob and Veronica after a chance meeting. The main protagonists here are vocalists Anne Gilpin and Robert Hacker Jesset supported instrumentally by Leo Fernandez, Camilo Parra and Alex Paleaz.BOB AND VERONICA RIDE AGAIN is essentially an adult rock-pop album interspersed with short sound samples taken at points in the journey, such as rail station announcements. First song ‘Veronica’s Revenge (continued)’ effectively starts the journey with crowd noises and the most fragile and glacially slow vocal from Gilpin. It is strong on melody, with a most hypnotic ambience, and finishes with a station announcement. ‘Chandelier’ contains one of several beautiful vocal duets featuring Gilpin and Jesset. The dreamy instrumental arrangement is perfect and the distant sample of ‘The Nearness Of You’ which completes the song is pure genius. ‘Sequin Smile’ opens with the dark bass vibe of rock guitars in complete contrast to the sweet, hushed tones of Gilpin’s voice.
‘Ordinary Pleasures’ is another beauty which has Gilpin and Jesset reminiscing over simple events experienced over a backdrop of single piano notes, astral sound effects and police car sirens. By this point one is totally sucked into this album, waiting to see what happens next…
‘Funny Peculiar’ is out and out pop with Beach Boy ba, ba, bas in the distance and hammond pounding away alongside sharp percussive notes. The rocky sound returns with ‘John Young’ although this time the vibe is a combo of blues and country while a tad more threatening. Thunder claps and hammond introduces Jesset singing about painted memories in ‘Hang It On The Wall.’ It’s a highlight here with its changes in pace, instrumentation and epic scale. ‘Nobody Understands’ reminds me of the David Lynch TWIN PEAKS soundtrack: mystical and moving. There’s also a hint of Radiohead as Gilpin gently contemplates life and death, supported by some glorious vocal harmonies.
Plucked guitar, hand claps provide a simpler opening backdrop to Gilpin’s lovely vocal on ‘Nobody Understands’, which by the last segment builds to a more rocky sound. ‘Bob, Veronica And Some Crickets’ uses heavily distorted vocals, pounding heart beats and a vibe akin to something resembling a drunken haze…
This album is nothing short of compelling and I imagine has taken some time to create. While adventurous, the album is accessible, sonically diverse and a total joy - quite an achievement. It’s currently available as an MP3 download with hard copy available on the 25th May. My summary? Two words - MOVING & ESSENTIAL.
This album's the reason for the slightly delayed update of this releases column. I've been spnding too much time listening for pleasure and not enough with my review ears on. "Bob And Veronica Ride Again" is part way between a concept album and a musical, well except there's no filler, just a thirteen song narrative. It's an album that redefines pop opera. Almost Anna Domino at it's core, well maybe Black Box Recorder, Morton Valence have produced an album of themetic proportion. It's like nothing you've heard before and yet disturbingly familiar, a classic b movie.
Financed by the band's fans, the Londoners' debut is a sound investment.
Firmly from a tradition of ambitious romance, only Paris Motel are currently reviving the spirit of a Cabaret-era decadence, with songs full of grandeur that also manage to stay intimate.
Anne Gilpin and Robert Jessett are both fine singers, whether it's cooing at each other or letting loose like The Raveonettes' finest. Superb. 8/10
MORTON VALENCE FOR SALE
We are financing our album by selling shares of it to individual investors. In return, not only will an investor own a percentage of our album and reap the financial rewards of any success, but significantly too, they will be a part of a pioneering new spirit in a revitalised music industry.
How and why?
The music industry in 2009 finds itself at a turning point. The power of the major record labels has steadily diminished since the turn of the new millennium. Everything you’re likely to read in the press will describe flagging profit margins, labels going under and artists dropped etc. invariably attributed to internet.
Yet the music scene is in extremely good health, gigs are better attended now than ever, fresh fusions of sounds and cultures demonstrate that music still inspires globally and websites like myspace have made this accessible from virtually anywhere on Earth.
So why is it, on the one hand, we’re told that the industry is in decline? Yet on the other the music scene is so vibrant at the moment?
The answer is that there is a revolution happening, and we call on you to join us in this revolution.
As the sands shift, there is a changing of the guards and a new type of industry is emerging.
For the first time since the inception of recorded music the pendulum of power has swung away from faceless corporations and towards the people who matter the most in the industry, the fans and artists.
This is not only something we fully intend to celebrate, but something we also intend to fully exploit.
We are offering anyone who likes our music a chance to celebrate with us by giving you the opportunity of owning a percentage of our next album.
So far the project has been an incredible success with %'s selling like the proverbial hot cakes, so if you're interested you should grab one - or as many as you want for that matter - while stocks last.
If you wish to know more, write to us with an email contact either here or at mortonvalence@googlemail.com and we will send you a PDF file with a more detailed account of our proposal.
Join us this November @ THE HOBBY HORSE, for the launch of our new weekly FREE Fridays. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Click on the flyer above for more details on our November listings. Also joining us this month are: Electricity in Our Homes, The Duloks, Man Flu and Ice, Sea, Dead People to name but a few... Cheers! Ed & Dan HTTP://WWW.CLUBTHEMAMMOTH.COM
Thanks for your support! check the other iPunk-profile too. your will find more great stuff by using the following link: www.myspace.com/ipunkremix www.facebook.com/ipunk iPunk available@ http://www.beatport.com/ipunk & your local record-store
Like your Investment Programme! Jake Shillingford did that kind of thing first, and he's done OK with it. My Life Story back on song and playing Koko in Nov.
A 4 track EP, titled Call Signs, it provides the perfect introduction to the band prior to the release of their debut album, Grappling Hooks, in early 2010.
You can hear samples from all 4 EP tracks on the NAO Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/naoband
Keep me posted when you all play in London next. I must come again! Please check out Vespertine, an act from Seattle led by young brunette, they sound like MV does and pretty dang good too. They are on MySpace but make sure you get the right act as others have that name. We have a new song uploaded on MySpace Coal Porters should y'all give a poop.
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