Bruise – Little Victories (Pop la Disque)
A bruise is a painful experience, discolours the flesh, and takes a while to heal. Listen to this album and all of the (almost) exact opposites are on show for you. It is totally painless (agonizingly good, in fact), a purple patch of music that immediately hits you with its unique take on all things, from down and dirty to wonderfully caring. This is quality music, and is as easy to love as your pet cat, even when the tail swishes and the claws are out. The lyrics range from a deceptive simplicity (as on “The Northern Line”: “I’m just ten minutes on the Northern Line… Don’t waste your time… I’m just ten minutes on the Northern line”) to “How Lucky”, a story about being betrayed by the lies of a male lover: “It’s all fine, fine… Until your heart breaks… And then you have to admit… That your greatest mistake was pretending his lies were real”.
The album just purrs along, until the penultimate track, “Three Ravens”, a faux folk song that doesn’t really work, and doesn’t fit the overall mood, either.
These sharp and detailed messages are delivered with a fine vocal dexterity by the duo, although for the most art it is Isobel Morris who does the lion’s share (or should that be lioness?). Whatever the mood, the tempo, the backing, the voices blend quite beautifully, and the two aforementioned tracks are probably the highlights in a very well lit set.
One ‘Bruise’ then, that gives no discomfort at all, and is very likely to spread.
www.myspace.com/bruiseuk
Kev A.
Next