Jul 28
HEAR: Seagull, ‘Council Tree’
What:
Council Tree
Who:
Seagull
On:
Remote Control Records
Myspace:
www.myspace.com/seagullmusic
Do you love depressing music? I do!
Melbourne's Chris Bolton writes moody, sparse songs that intertwine folk, drone, minimalism and restrained indie rock. Perfect for listening to late at night, alone, it's an album that keeps you guessing and doesn't grow predictable; a treasure for fans of slow, beautiful bummer music, like labelmate Ned Collette, Thom Yorke on Quaaludes, or a less pretty Bon Iver.
Council Tree is the second album from Seagull, basically the band wrapped around Bolton's songwriting. Chris is classically trained, and it shows on these meticulously crafted songs. The barren beginning is countered by a rhythm and repetition that grows steadily. Maybe it's sequenced as deliberate storytelling (the bad news first, then an uplifting 'happy' ending) or diffidently challenging (making listeners wade through the murky, dour first half, for the more joyous end pay-off). Either way, it's a ride well worth taking. Repeatedly.
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