roc - night fold around me
roc have never taken the easy path to perfection. having been chased around the block for signatures by several record labels all those years ago, they still managed to fuck just about everyone off. yet somehow despite all this, they managed to release 2 genre busting albums, one on setana, and the other on virgin.
now, after years in the shadows, they have decided to get back into the groove and release their third album via a new york label called 12 apostles. thus giving credence to the fact that roc actually stood for 'resurrection of christ', as with kmfdm, the band have never denied nor confirmed the roots of their google unfriendly name.
so, how are things in the roc world in the year 2006 ? bloody great by the sounds of it. if you have dug around this site, you will know that i rated the limited single 'journey to the centre of brixton' as one of the best tracks of 2006, the electro throb oozed menace and a noir-ish beauty in perfect (dis)harmony. thankfully, they have placed the 2 very mind altering versions on the cd, but, alongside these highlights are several other tracks that will make you wonder just why on earth this band are still relatively unknown. yet for all the historic troubles (dig around the bands site for more details), the band is very focused and intent on making their music very special. still comprising of the same three members (karen/vocals, fred/vocals+instr, patrick/instru), and even same knob twiddlers as before, the band obviously know what works best for them.
opening track, 'river' is all processed acoustics guitars, epic electronica ambience and breathtakingly gorgeous vocals by vocalist karen sheridan, so much so, that when the old school guitar solo kicks in and lifts the mood into the heavens you will never go back to your 'the best ambient album in the world ever' as this track is the answer to all such demands. however, just as your mood is soothed, the throbbing intensity of 'journey ..' begins to boil over. it really is that good a track. from hereon things veer into different areas, 'princess' is all baggy styled loops and loose fitting vocals by fred, which i guess match the easy going vibe, just don't get sidetracked by the verbally declared facts that rape, broken marriages, and serial killers and such heaviness are happening all around while you enjoy your perfect day.
as always, undercurrents of malevolence are never far from the surface, thus providing a reason as to why their music rarely hits the airwaves. happy people need not apply to join this particular cult.
'sally ann' is structured around strummed guitars, dub busting bass, karens vocals, and a few left of center sonic touches that lift the track out of the normality that begins to permeate the track after 3 minutes, but as the simplistically perfect 'sing a poor song' follows, this makes any such negatives evaporate. epic in sound, and totally special with its far away whispered vocals, dramatic piano, electro throb, and storm effects buried deep in the mix. yet, despite the euphoric atmosphere there is a dark heart beating within the words being expressed, making sure that you never get to comfortable. thankfully, the 5 minutes plus of 'sink a bite into life' does that st. Etienne styled pop music so well, thus providing some welcome relief to a melody line that Giorgio moroder would be proud of. to follow the onslaught of machine based noise, is the acoustically simple 'just one thing', a perfect ad mans dream, a song that could easily be covered by any of the nu-breed of popstars and project this wonderful song to the top of the charts, should anyone delve below the usual suspects. we can but dream.
the rest of the album continues to impress, with its combination of subtly experimental electro based pop music, barbed wordplay and genuine surprises. from the headphone twisted phased dubbed up excess during the centerpiece of relationship breakdown anthem, 'too late too much', the sheer perfection in the direct joy zipper-esque bassline of 'soviva', the deep calm (though often broken by shards of guitar noise to just keep you alert) of 'vespers', and the wonderfully gorgeous album closer (ignoring the multitude of extra tracks dropped on the end for that value for money tagline), to the grand finale 'pleasant dream' that corrects all the darkness that has pervaded the listeners soul for the last 50 minutes, and leaves the listener in a warm blanket of human warmth. just.
oh - about those extra tracks, normally these are throwaway entities of little value i find, typically in the world of roc however, things are never that straightforward !
'i want you i need you i miss you' is just a fantastic dubby electro bouncer that just about trumps over the album proper, it's like someone has taken all the best parts of william orbit's bassomatic pop experiment and condensed it into 4 minutes of perfection. damn, it's good.
so, with the album now available for the world to actually buy, i can now state the following :
i love roc - and you should too. however be careful, there are some rather prickly thorns embedded within this superb leftfield pop music, so wear protective clothing and immerse yourself into this murky, but addictive world.