SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CHURCH OF TREES – TEN

CHURCH OF TREES
TEN
INDEPENDENT

Church of Trees is a very prolific band. Since Bernard Frazer introduced the band to the world in 2017, they have released nine albums. Ten is their tenth, and, to date, their best. Although Frazer has been the one constant member of the band, he has developed their own style and sound. And yet, each album is its own distinct entity. It may have trademark Church of Trees sounds, but each album is very different. Ten is no exception. Now a trio (Bernard Frazer, Nicholas Carriere, and Vihar Joshi), Church of Trees have recorded their strongest and most exciting album to date. The guitars and synths are turned up, and the music is heavy.

One thing Frazer planned to do with Ten was to record half of it live off the floor and the other half as a studio recording. This is clearly a group effort and not a band supporting Frazer. Half of the album is recorded live with no overdubs, and their take on older, familiar songs is spectacular. The energy the power trio brings to the songs pours out of the speakers. “Lost My Job” transforms from an angry song (from 2021’s Pause) to an ominous, almost nightmarish song. Frazer’s voice is perfect, and Carriere’s guitar is dark and powerful. Throw in some seriously heavy drumming from Joshi, and one has a dark rock anthem. It is fantastic.

The same can be said for the other live tracks on the album, but do not overlook the new songs written and recorded for Ten. While a song like “Bitter Truth” revisits Frazer’s pop sensibility, he also offers his own view of the world with a song such as “Angry.” He is not preaching, but he is very clear as to what is making him unhappy these days. A song like “Intruder” would not be out of place as part of a Harlan Coben mystery soundtrack. While “Quiet Life” (which Frazer wrote with Carriere) is more pop rock and does offer some hope. While it shares a title with Japan, it is far less brooding and much more uplifting.

Ten is a brilliant album from start to finish. Including six remakes along with six brand new songs is a stroke of genius. It is a band saying, ‘here we are, and this is how we got here’. It is a bold step to re-record older favourites, but here it works. These don’t sound like old songs; rather, they sound like brand new tracks. Fans will enjoy hearing the band in this new form, and the power trio lends itself to much more power and energy. Ten is a brilliant new addition to their growing catalogue, and something album fans will enjoy. Ten is available on vinyl, download, and CD, the first Church of Trees album to find its way onto this format.

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