(Stereo Test Kit Records, 2005)Original Czech version of the review is placed on www.post-rock.cz here.
Audrey is beautiful name for girl's post-rock band formed in small town on south Sweden in 2002. Members of the quartet are Anna, Victoria, Emilie a Rebecka. Unfortunately I don't know which girl sings but her amazing voice warms up your hearts. It is the one of advantages the band. She reminds you Björk from Sugercubes's era or maybe Ema Brabcová from Czech band Khoiba.
Opening song Box, and Fights has a dominant guitar theme at the beginning which meanders like a ribbon with honey cello at the other side during the whole track. An initial declamation is changing into a gently insisting singing. Guitarist Victoria Skoglund said about meaning of their lyrics:
"I like it when the lyrics can mean different things, that we give clues to our audience. Sometimes we can write quite incoherent things, but we are looking for a feeling in the music,"
Next Triumphal Arch starts with a muffled sound of piano as if from the next room through a half-open door. A guitar with smooth drums join in a little while. Suddenly the singing begins and you catch yourself that you are watching from window at a wind how is fondling with leaves in a tree-top and you're thinking about things from your mind oblivion. You're still listening mesmerized and don't want doing anything else because you are satisfied.
Suddenly you notice the song went over to next song fluently, only two-minutes length We Thought We Were Ghosts, But We Are Feathers. And it disappears as a featherlet in the wind for coming a new song Hymn, my most beautiful one and at the same time the most sad song in the EP. At an initiation the song reminds you Sigur Rós with shimmering guitar and murky keyboards. The lyrics start with "I can still taste you in corner of my mouth." and you get into the mood when thinking about past or present relationships.Last the fifth track Helpless as well as its song-sisters is slow, full of melancholy and sorrow nevertheless emotions and certain defiance rise up from the music and the voice.
Audrey draws their songs with simplicity and minimalistic outline and gorgeous voices without supportive rolling guitar walls. However emotional impact on audience is extraordinary. They are not for daily listening but for right mood and state of mind. It's perfect for sleepy-rainy afternoon. They are one of the most shinning star on the post-rock sky this year for me! Highly recommend!
Track list
1 | Box, and Fights | 4:45
2 | Triumphal Arch | 5:07
3 | We Thought We Were Ghosts, But We Are Feathers | 2:44
4 | Hymn | 7:17
5 | Helpless | 6:11
Total time - 00:26:04
MySpace > http://www.myspace.com/audreyswe
Free mp3 > Box, and Fights
