Terrascope review.

Fans, friends, fairies and fools! Here's a fantastic review from the Terrascope website:

"Having released a handful of CD-R’s, Tomas Thunberg now graces our ears with his first official CD album, the beautiful and delicate “Faceless”, a collection of songs that are filled with a sadness and acceptance, not depressing but awash with wistfulness and wisdom. Opening track “Broken” finds the spirits of Towne Van Zandt and Leonard Cohen, walking across a desolate coastline, a mournful trombone adding gravity to the picked guitar phrases. On “Fairies and Fools”, a bowed saw and delicate backing vocals from Frida Astrand, create the perfect sonic landscape for the inherent sadness, some fine guitar fills completing the songs beauty.

More upbeat, “Come Saturday” has a sparkling guitar motif, simple and effective, the trombone again adding atmosphere, the lyrics not as cheerful as the bright tune would suggest. As with the rest of the tunes, the instrumentation on this song is pitched perfectly, allowing the listener to get lost within the small sketches and sad tales. After the graceful “In from the Cold”, complete with mandolin fills, things are slowed down for the droning “Tremble”, a pump organ and the sound of wine glasses used to devastating effect, an atmospheric delight that sounds better every time.

Consistent in its sound yet varied enough to hold the attention , this album maintains the quality throughout, with “Railway Car” reminding me of Iron and Wine with its hypnotic rhythm, whilst the bleakness of “Nothing Good” is an icy breath of surrender, lost love and memories, the line containing the word “elephant” bringing a surreal smile to your lips!

To close the album, the wyrdness of “Dagger Dagger” will make you listen, as memorable a song as I have heard this year, the eerie atmosphere drawing a veil of mist around your ears, sounding like Kevin Ayers at his most atmospheric.

Low-key and personal, this is fast becoming one of this year’s favourites, try it and see for yourself. (Simon Lewis)"

http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Reviews_October09.htm