We, The Divers
We, The Divers And The Ancient Mariner
[self-released]

by Mark Wong

When post-rock signalled a shift in focus to texture from melody, the cinematic prospects of music were brought to the forefront in a way not seen since, perhaps, seventies prog-rock - not that the music became more visual; rather, we found that these sounds stimulated an as-yet unnamed sense – a sense of atmosphere, if you will. And so out rolled Sigur R ós , whose ethereality evoked fjords and glacial shifts, while Godspeed! You Black Emperor was a Wagnerian march through apocalyptic desert drylands.

In that sense, then, We, The Divers continue in this tradition, recording music that is unmistakeably sub-aquatic, making the air around you grow dense and heavy, like someone increasing the pressure in your room/head. Space-time perceptions morph just as minimal guitar licks or synth notes bend and warp. There is a constant sense of movement as the extensive use of delay effects call up the motion of recurrent waves.

We, The Divers and the Ancient Mariner is five tracks or forty minutes of deep sound exploration where vast oceans are summoned in exploratory passages that evoke the ghost of electric Miles or the ambient blanket cast by electro-acoustic figures like Oren Ambarchi. On the opening track ‘The Horizon Slipped’, the listener is literally pushed off the edge and right into the deep end of one of the Divers’ murkier compositions. Heavily processed samples sustain the feeling of strangeness and mystery. ‘For a While There, It was Warm and Nice’ is like a lazy stretch at the beach with a languid bass line. It is that lyrical quality and a 4:21 running time that makes it the closest thing to a single the Divers will likely produce. Elsewhere, the dissonant ‘Drift’ finds shimmery sine tones and arpeggios navigating a Merznoise loop.

There are times when the loose – some would say lack of – structures are going to alienate some people. The discursive drift of the sixteen-minute ‘Untitled 13’ has a feel of improvisation and affects a temporal suspension on the listener the way a band like Deathprod does. Above all, this is music that rewards patience and an open mind. All one needs to do is, if I may overkill the metaphor, to get one’s feet wet and give the music of We, The Divers that first try.

(We, The Divers and the Ancient Mariner is available at Straits Records, Flux-Us or email the band at qurifax@singnet.com.sg )

Len
It's Beautiful
[self-released]

by Lounge Lizard

Singer-songwriter Len a.k.a. Leonard Ng’s sophomore effort It’s Beautiful doesn’t differ too much from his debut offering Winter Sessions. The focus on his plaintive voice and folk rhythms remains unchanged.

Some of you might find the title track familiar as it had been used for MediaCorps/ Film Formations’ English drama series ‘Chase’. Leonard scores another coup by getting British electronic group Zero 7’s resident chanteuse Sophie Barker to back him in the vocals department as well. Being the strongest track on the EP, the tune draws you in with its subtle pop hooks. Though the arrangement is musically conventional and draws a close resemblance to current Brit-pop kings Coldplay, the end result is effective. Love the E-bow part.

Leonard lets loose his love for Nick Drake and Red House Painters on tracks like ‘Could Be’ and ‘Found Out’. On these tracks, he showcases his penchant for guitar finger picking and a tender side for folk rhythms. While the lyrical subject matters revolve around heartbreak and unrequited love, his delivery lacks the emotive edge. Seemingly teetering on depression, he never quite crosses the line, coming off sounding wistful instead.

Despite some shaky entries, the whole EP sits well for the London-based singer-songwriter.

Mocca
My Diary
[Fruit Records]

by Lounge Lizard

In Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown, Orlando Bloom’s character described his father’s facial expression while in the coffin as whimsical. That can be said of Mocca’s re-released debut My Diary. The Indonesian quartet plays whimsical twee-pop. However, the former is a comic take on more depressing subject matters while the latter is purely saccharine and a light-hearted affair.

You would not be wrong when first impressions convince you the 4 piece act is nothing but a The Cardigans and The Sundays clone. Lead singer Arina’s sweetly soothing croons drives home that impression. However, her flute flourishes adds a different dimension to the songs and adds more texture to what hovers dangerously to a rip-off band.

Yet, the band’s true strengths lie in their songwriting abilities and arrangement skills. Their signature tune ‘Me & My Boyfriend’ features a Broadway style arrangement, complete with horns and thumping tom-toms. They even threw in a slow waltz breakdown to make sure you get the point.

There are other fine moments on My Diary such as ‘… And Rain Will Fall’ with its insistent Stone Roses-esque bass line. ‘Life Keeps Turning On’ impresses you to boogie with its faux disco-funk rhythms and catchy choruses.

Fruit Records (http://www.fruitrecords.com) went out on a limb for the re-release for Mocca’s My Diary, throwing in 3 bonus tracks and 3 Flash videos for ‘Me & My Boyfriend’, ‘Life Keeps On Turning’ and ‘What If…’. If you are in the mood for fine guitar pop on a lazy ‘Sunday Afternoon’, you are far too impoverished not to have chosen My Diary as your soundtrack.