Segundo lp de The Occasional Keepers

TRUE NORTH (LTMCD 2511) £10

The second Keepers album was recorded in February 2008, and again produced by the band with Ian Catt. Retaining plenty of acoustic, reflective elements from the previous record, True North adds experimental, song-based pop touches to great effect. Beth Arzy (Aberdeen/TBS) also guests, while Caesar and Carolyn revisit their own illustrious past on the track Factory Records.


REVIEWS: "In the last twenty years lots of fads & fashions have had a dalliance with generations of indie kids but the purity of soul on offer from The Occasional Keepers new album is even greater than I can recall back then. This is Bobby's collaboration with Caesar & Carolyn from Scots legends The Wake who were the fragile Northern siblings of New Order on Factory. So I can truly say this second offering from them is a total gem. Without space to elaborate on individual tracks, all I can reveal is that it unfolds like a brittle flower, full of wistful synths, longing vocals, sweet guitars, purring bass lines & fantastic songs. Absolutely the perfect distillation of both bands, this is a more realized & satisfying listen than I could imagine, ranking alongside the best stuff from either band. Organic electronics combined with long patented touches make this a mature, melancholic masterwork. Mmm! LTM are doing the alternative community a great service in unearthing forgotten gems from this spectrum (which forms the flatbed of my musical heart!) and also pushing the sound forward with fresh treats such as this.....so they're a label with absolute mastery & pedigree in my eyes! So just buy this CD and melt" (Norman Records, 04/2008); "Unsurprisingly it's luxurious pop all the way, varying in tempo from ambient to the gently giddy. Classier than any twee meeting of minds. If they get too earnest at points, the sharp heart that lurks in their poignant acoustics makes them one to keep" (Planet Sound (BBC Teletext), 04/2008); "Very decent follow up to their 2005 debut. True North is far more immediate than its predecessor, with yes, a more New Order mid-80s manchester feel to the songs - not surprising at all, considering the imput of Caesar and Carolyn from Factory legends The Wake. If the Ravens Leave is an excellent opener, especially when they crash in the bass, while the final Bobby song (A Distant Piano on a Foggy Night) evokes experimental-era OMD, as Carolyn reads the shipping news over electonic static and beats. Great. As a whole, True North betters Empty Vessel, and the record is driven (as always) by Ian Catt`s excellent production. 4 out of 5" (Rate Your Music, 04/2008); "Opening track If the Ravens Leave curls up in the hearth-warmed electronics and bedsit earnestness that have been the hallmarks of Wratten's groups, overseen here by Saint Etienne producer/multi-instrumentalist Ian Catt. Wratten murmuringly describes the birds' departure "beneath the moon's glow," as minimal guitar stabs, sustained synth chords, and programmed beats - accompanied eventually by chiming guitars and, later, a skeletal bass line - evoke a cozy intimacy. It's the middle of a long night, the middle of a long day, and the radio weather report butts up against the stereo's Stardust as Wratten envisions kingdoms falling. Twee is a humble kingdom, for sure, but one that has managed to quietly piss off hostile attackers for multiple generations of bands now" (Pitchfork, 05/2008); "In their 1980's pomp both The Wake and The Field Mice made wistful innocent-sounding music which promised romance and melancholy in equal measure. So when members of both bands chose to collaborate in 2005, Bobby Wratten, Caesar and Caroline Allen duly delivered an album of music for sensitive souls. The follow-up is dispatched in much the same manner with a smattering of light electronica again bringing their style bang up to date. As an opening, If The Ravens Leave sums up all that was good about both bands; the happy/sad tune delivered in comforting tones. Town Of 85 Lights and I've Realized are essentially a return to The Wake circa 1990 when they moved from Factory to Sarah Records; their music becoming lighter. Not quite as light as the Allen-sung The Life Of The Fields, though, which is as tender as a snowflake. In a further nod to their pasts, there's time for an ambient/experimental homage to Factory Records, whilst Snow And Feathers has a definite Durutti Column feel. Yet the real highlight for me is Leave The Secret There Forever - everything about it is subtle and beautiful, from the insistent bass and the light guitar jangle to the shimmering keyboards and Wratten's confiding vocals. It beats the similarly dreamlike Elsinore in to a close second. Taken as a whole, True North stays true to the musicians' pasts and proves that - even though they've embraced modern production techniques - their music can still be heartfelt and touching" (Leonard's Lair, 05/2008)