SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE REMAINDER – EVENSONG

The Remainder
Evensong
Blanc Check Records

Even though this is The Remainder’s debut, the three members have fairly extensive histories in electronic music. Neil Arthur, who sings, plays guitar, and keyboards, is from Blancmange, Fader, and Near Future. Drummer Liam Hutton is formerly of Boxed In, Young Fathers, and Neneh Cherry, and Finlay Shakespeare, who as a solo artist has put out some fine music, plays synthesizers. Honorary member Jo Hutton, who is also Liam’s mother and a very talented composer, engineer, and musician in her own right, also provides beautiful interludes between the tracks.

Evensong is brilliant. It does not sound like any of the individual members’ previous works and has a much more aggressive, electronic sound with guitars adding the icing on the cake, including the wonderful breathers or bridges between the tracks. There is a driving force here that keeps the listener riveted.

It opens with “Broken Manhole Cover” which sets the pace, has a strong melody, and is very synth-based. But it is the track after the first interlude that makes everything clear from Arthur’s point of view. In “Hoarfrost” Arthur states, “I don’t do nostalgia”. This is clearly directed at the faithful listener, indicating that he is progressing and not getting stuck in the past.

“The Remainder”, which is great song with tasteful instrumentation, makes it even clearer with “you threw the diary on the bonfire, lies of your life…” There are other numbers, including “Awake”, which are a bit more chill but still have a bite to them. It ends with the wonderful “What Do You Want To Want”. A slow, creeping song, it is a combination of sad and disturbing, as the listener is not sure how Arthur is going to respond to any request.

Evensong is an impressive debut for these three musicians. It is an album full of soundscapes, images, and fantastic music. The use of electronic technology and standard guitars and drums creates a sound that would not have been out of place in a film such as Blade Runner. All three musicians have the ability to stretch out on this album, and combined with the incredible interludes, they have created a modern day masterpiece.

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