29 August 2005

Pub - Liltmor - Ampoule - CD








They don’t come along very often, but, my word, when they do, they are worth every single second, minute, hour and month of the wait.

A mouth-watering new CD album from Scotland’s finest, Pub, on his own Ampoule label is a treat to be savoured and this 20 track piece of work will surely go down as one of his best.

Ever since ‘Do You Ever Regret Pantomime?’ surfaced a few years ago, the anticipation of anything new from Pub has been palpable, and whilst the EP ‘Surgery / Cokeshandy’ was a handy stopgap to keep us on our toes, this is truly the moment we’ve been longing for.

And does it disappoint? Not in any way at all. In fact it’s conceivably his best music to date, although that may sit awkwardly with those who still worship the epic ‘Summer’ CD on Vertical Form, or the incredible ‘Single’ – again, on Ampoule.

‘Liltmor’ has a more complete and rounded sound than its predecessors and it certainly covers more ground; from the wistful, Chain Reaction styled rhythmic soundscapes of ‘Motobere’, to more overtly ‘Electronica’ tracks such as ‘Fun Hopper’, you get a sense of an artist who is most happy when mixing it up and shifting styles halfway through a track. Just listen to the way the stunning piano refrain of ‘Luki Luki’ flows in from a seemingly unrelated piece of heavily rhythmic, abstract texture… truly a heartbreakingly beautiful piece of music.

There’s a muted, almost classical feel to the tracks that gives them an instant distance and fragile beauty. Isolation (both geographically and personally, it would seem) are the themes here and for anyone who has ever been lonely or desperate, there’s a good chance that these pieces of music will remind you that you really are never alone… there’s someone else out there who understands.

And that’s always been one of Pub’s strengths; His ability to make music that’s incredibly personal sounding… a link between the listener and the musician that lasts for the entire album… almost as if he’s written it specifically for you.

Best listened to from beginning to end in one sitting, it’s hard not to get caught up in the wistful, melancholy sounds of one of the UK’s most underground, yet celebrated artists.

A dangerously good album.

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