Only by the Night
One of the first things that hits you about this moody and moving debut folk album from Six Toes is Ben Rogers voice, like Anthony (and the Johnsons) meets Tim Buckley he croons his way darkly through all the tracks on 'Trick Of The Night'. The second thing you notice is the subtle yet warmly enveloping instrumentation which is varied and richly layered, throwing up some beautiful combinations of violin/cello/guitar/double bass/delicate chimes and all manner of improvised sounds from metal tubes to wine glasses, all wrapped up in a blanket of vocal harmonies; it’s like being serenaded by the wind through the trees on a warm summer night.
It’s difficult to pick out single tracks from the record as they are all wonderfully emotive; it’s the kind of album that should be heard all in one go and savoured slowly. The effect of the whole experience is like hearing Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s 'I See A Darkness', or Calexico’s 'The Black Light' for the first time all over again and getting that tingly feeling all over because you know it’s forever going to be one of your all time favourites.
Some tracks that do have a bigger hold than others are title track ‘Trick Of The Night’ just for the initial impact it has, ‘Four Leaved Clover’ for the vocal harmonies, the Danny Elfman-esque strings at the end of ‘Same Again’, the haunting melody of ‘Spinster’ again with those lovely harmonies and the intense and spooky power of ‘Reggae Song’ which builds to a skin prickling finale.
The album is simply quite beautiful, the dark edge that conjures up a haunting night-time mood is never melancholy, instead it has an intense magical quality and is at the same time full of pent up energy that feels ready to explode at any time.