| CD Review - The Naira Project - Standing At The Edge Of Despair |
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| Review by Phill |
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After what can be politely described as a ‘postal mix-up’ in my shared residence, I was pleased to finally receive ‘Standing at the Edge of Despair’, the latest single from Saxilby-based duo The Naira Project. Although I can’t say I’m fond of the CD artwork, I like the fact that the CD’s data side is black (Playstation, anyone?) – a nice touch; a commitment to the CD format - nice in an age where MySpace seems to be the arbitrary choice for musicians to get their music heard.
I must admit that I was slightly confused by the make-up The Naira Project. Although written, mixed and mastered by Steve Cowan and ‘Gibbs’, it appears that it is ‘JC’ and ‘ICE’ who perform on this single – stage names, perhaps.
The first track, ‘The Wake in which we Leave’ is conveyed with purpose. The track is built around a nice, simple piano medley which runs the length of the track, giving the track atmosphere. ICE’s vocals are not perfect but are clear and atmospheric, whilst conveying genuine emotion. The drums, which I gather are digitally-created, sit back a bit too much for my taste. They sound almost ‘industrial’, with plenty of reverb but no real body to them. A nice first track though, if stifled only slightly by the drum sound.
The second track, ‘Elations’ is split into three parts – Rebirth, Rising and Elations. The feel of the track is slightly different to that previously, with a syncopated double act of electric rhythm and lead guitar parts giving the introduction a slightly sombre edge. ICE’s vocals lift the mood slightly, but this is misleading. Intentional or not, the track shifts back into a feel I can only depict as intense despair, with a rather forceful vocal sample which sings “a-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-yaaa” sitting in the background which causes confusion and makes things sound chaotic. This points the finger of creativity at Cowan/Gibbs, who seemingly betray the notion of musical atmosphere or don’t, depending on your own perceptions. This disjointed sound betrays the splitting of the track as well; this isn’t the logical mood progression set out in the track split. Maybe it’s a deliberate ploy to garner recollection from the listener. If so, my hat is off. Moving on to the final part of the track, the listener is finally treated to a lift in feel, yet you can’t escape the feeling that this is too little, too late. Upbeat synths and a solid drum groove are an admirable attempt to rescue the mood, yet the dubious, foreceful vocal sample remains. There is a lot of emotion in one track here which makes it difficult to view the track as one whole piece.
The final track consists of a simple piano piece, over-dubbed with a reading from John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’. Clean-sounding and not at all intrusive, it’s genuinely atmospheric. I rather like this track; it feels ‘right’ to finish the CD with this. Just over four minutes long, it’s a satisfying listen.
One point I would like to make is about the production. Listening to this CD was a sonic pleasure. A wide soundstage compliments the clarity of just about every musical part on the CD (bar the digital drums). This is very refreshing in an age when CDs are mixed with endless compression, to sound best in car stereos and PC speakers. Through a half-decent hi-fi, this will sound great.
On the whole then, I have mixed feelings about ‘Standing at the Edge of Despair’. Trying to place it into a genre is a difficult task – there are traces of Industrial, Metal and even Folk music in there. To call it unique is a no-brainer, and for this reason I like it, but it’s not easy to listen to – its chaotic make-up will no doubt be problematic for some people. However, I don’t think that Cowan/Gibbs are aiming for the mass market, so this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Perhaps the niche that this single has created will be in a market bristling with the kind of people who can appreciate this sort of music more than I can. I hope so, because The Naira Project is at no point offensive, and Cowan/Gibbs have done a good job of creating something that’s very different to just about anything I’ve ever heard.
.Phill.
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This page was last updated Monday, 11 January 2010
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