Our Broken Garden - When Your Blackening Shows

Bella Union

The celestial organs and modest piano of opening track ‘Watermark’ introduce a splendid debut album. It is full of hymnic ballads textured with a solemn Burt Bacharach vibe, its melodies more subtle yet no less sophisticated. Anna Bronsted’s voice has an ethereal charm reminiscent of Feist, but the songs themselves bear more resemblance to Joan As Police Woman’s atmospheric, down-tempo work. This tempo remains throughout, meaning there is little diversity, but final track ‘My Kinship’ dissolves into a peaceful warm sea, the final destination of the mysterious and stirring current which flows through this gracefully accomplished record. Matt Nesbitt

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DOWNLOAD: ‘WHEN YOUR BLACKENING SHOWS’, ‘LA SAGITAIRE’.
FOR FANS OF: JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN, EFTERKLANG.

Issue #52 - Very Bro-some

Featuring Panama Kings, ASIWYFA, an investigation into DIY touring, details of what over 25 of the finest NI bands are up to in 2009 and much more.