Cousteau dive into unchartered waters.
You've got to hand it to a band who a few albums down the line, are still working their day jobs, music not quite bringing in the income. If that were me, I would have packed it in long ago, either setting up a new outfit or forfeiting music altogether. And that's very nearly what Cousteau did!
Whilst touring the States with their second album, Davey Ray Moore, 'creative linchpin' and Cousteau's songwriter decided to throw in the towel. Without a songwriter you could only do so much with existing material and thus far it hadn't managed to pay the rent. But obviously there was some unfinished business with Cousteau, and on the back of a pretty tragic and emotional year, vocalist Liam McKahey had plenty of inspiration. So, with the aid of modern technology, or a Suzuki 'Q Chord' electronic auto-harp to be precise, McKahey without any knowledge of music theory nor the ability to play a traditional instrument, wrote some rudimentary tracks. 'Nova Scotia' had been conceived.
For a band who have completely switched roles, they still sound like Cousteau. Perhaps this is down to McKahey's distinctive, ethereal vocals? Perhaps Davey Ray Moore was less of a 'creative linchpin' then they thought. Sure, plenty of groups have made it due to the talents of one member, but it takes the entire ensemble to create a band's sound. Something that with 'Nova Scotia', Cousteau have finally realised.
Having previously been compared to Bert Bacharach, here too is an album of fantastic quality songs. Timeless and underrated. Subtly being driven by the vocals. The accompanying instruments lending their support to the songs as opposed to taking over and exercising complete control. Never is this more true than the beautiful 'Black Heart of Mine' whose backing-vocals and piano makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
'Nova Scotia' is a patently personal album. With the assistance of guitarist Robin Brown, McKahey has reached deep into the very pit of the hurt of the last year and offered it onto a plate to the listener. Tragedy has manifested itself into Eric Satie inspired piano, huge sweeping strains of the choir and haunting melodies. 'Pia' is a perfect example. A tribute to the death of a friends nine year old daughter from a brain tumour, it manages to sound sparse and stark yet massive at the same time. There's a definite Pink Floyd vibe here and I'm reminded of the trippiness of 'Dark Side of the Moon' and the lyrics from 'The Wall'.
This album is desperately sad, but it is far from depressing. You can hear that 'Nova Scotia' serves as a catharsis for McKahey. The beauty of his emotional journey reigns supreme. Rarely are we invited to share such brutal honesty. It is an honour to listen in. The impetus for this album being primarily death; the death of a parent, a child, a band, 'Nova Scotia' is a celebration of life and the birth of a new Cousteau.