SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ROBIN GUTHRIE – ASTORIA

ROBIN GUTHRIE
ASTORIA
SOLEIL APRÈS MINUIT

After a three-year absence, Robin Guthrie, formerly of The Cocteau Twins, is not wasting any time in releasing new music. Guthrie released the brilliant EP Atlas in July this year, and now, he has released Astoria, part two of Atlas. Astoria picks up where Atlas left off. It is a four-track instrumental EP, written, performed, produced, and recorded by Robin Guthrie.

The EP kicks off with the slow building and slow burning “A Most Remarkable Woman”. Guthrie takes his time layering the sounds complete with his trademark guitar. It has a beautiful melody that slowly comes to the surface creating a sublime sound. The same could be said for the other three instrumentals on the album. “Starting Fires” is a short but powerful burst of energy while “Jura” is an almost ambient piece that floats out of the speakers. Astoria ends with one of Guthrie’s most beautiful and moving melodies, the aptly titled “Smoulder”. It is a powerful and emotional way to end the EP.

Astoria is a work of art that continues the music he began with Atlas. Astoria musically feels like a destination, it brings the theme of travel, longing and even home. And he does it musically without one word sung. His ability to layer sounds, melodies and instruments allows for a great deal of space in his music. Guthrie demonstrates his unique ability to create mellow, sparse, melodic instrumentals that simply transport the listener to a different time and place.

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