The Barnum Meserve - The Barnum Meserve
Nottingham's Barnum Meserve have created a bit of a masterpiece on this their debut self-titled album. The album skilfully blends great song-writing, emotional singing, stark lyrics, and music that is multi-layered, cinematic, and full of melodies that can't fail to hook you in.
War Games is a lovely opener to this magnificent album, with gentle strings and piano gradually building to a full on and very cinematic sounding brass and strings crescendo. Then we hear for the first time Leon Wiley's haunting vocal, full of spine tingling emotion. The line 'I cant relate to this war' has a completely timeless and poignant feel. Colours has a fabulous lush sophistication and power in its musical delivery, and has an edgy ballad feel. The taut edginess coming from Leon's vocal almost screaming 'I will not be the colour that fades....'.
The rhythm section of Dylan Griffiths bass and Paul Moss-Pearce drums, are an intrinsic element of the musical energy that drives the songs on this album. On Don't be Afraid Paul's drumming is just captivating, creating an almost Motown like steady beat, with jazz accents. On Last Forever, Dylan's bass creates a sinewy angularity to the sound, which is just mesmerising.
The intoxicating musical layers that characterise many of the songs on this album are epitomised in After the Fire. It begins as a slow burner of a song with electric piano and a languid rhythm, and then explodes into a rousing and epic full orchestral attack. This is music that is hard to characterise (thank goodness!) and speaks to the listener on so many levels, and is attempting successfully to touch those deep emotional parts of us, which much of what passes for music singularly fails to do.
Take Shelter, as a case in point, packs a powerful lyrical and musical impact. Just hear the line... 'Self destruction...I'm not the same as you', and feel the despair of a friend or family member sinking, and the feeling of helplessness you might experience in the face of that. It also has a very pretty and wistful piano mid section, which in a wonderful musical contrast has a more soothing effect.
It's hard to believe this is a debut album. Simply one of the best new releases this year!