A quiet masterpiece.
Album Cover 'Reclaimed'
The greatest perk to reviewing the latest music releases is that I discover new bands that often fly under the radar of mainstream music. I have always been a fan of folk music and after listening to Adrian Roye and the Exiles my love for the genre has heightened even more.
The band were offered an opportunity in 2011 that would save the band from obscurity and let them release their music to the world. They went to Vermont to record their debut album titled Reclaimed. With the word Exiles in their name it is no wonder they decided to record their music in a completely different country. Originating from North London the band has a refreshing sound that is both distinctive and calming.
The band is made up of four musicians, the lead singer Adrian Roye, cello player Simon Lewis, bass player and backing vocalist Beth Dariti and Dan Paton on drums and percussion. Together they create individual tracks oozing with creativity and talented song writing. All of the tracks have a band feel which is no surprise with a voice as striking as Adrian’s and a cello; it would be hard to ignore the presence felt in their songs. Every song contrasts with the next and the album flows like an endless melody.
The opening track of the album is oddly titled Plastic Bag Goldfish, the sombre beauty of this song is because of the constancy of mandolin against the cello, the song has an inner warmth and has idiosyncratic lyrics such as ‘Walking round’ corners/ the streets getting bigger/surreal doused surprise/ as the street lights get dimmer.
Warning Shot is the next track on the album and is another excellent tune, the harmonies between Adrian and Beth are flawless and I really liked the message behind the lyrics.The melody is soothing and melodious and the lead singer’s falsetto is inspiring and spine-tingling. My favourite lyric in this song was ‘It’s time to set the arms down, you can’t force change.’
The third track on the album The Calling is a soft ballad with a bold cello sound and delicate drum beats, the song is definitely one of my favourites. I particularly like the hook ‘you must go one’ when Adrian harmonises with Beth. My favourite lyric was ‘though you never were my twin and I’ll stop breathing/ Give you life as the air gets thin.’
Cold War stands out with its delicious four-part harmonies and the mixture of cello and cymbals. This is one of the lyrical best on the album in my opinion, I love the raw and poignant lyrics like ‘may I wear your coat, as the chill sets in/numb as the sun burns through me.’ Another lyric I loved was ‘Bridges once were built, often to decay/I won’t hold up much longer, crush and waste away.’
Fear of Phantoms has a reggae feel to it, I think it is possibly Beth and Adrian’s best vocal performance on the album and there are also some fine guitar lines. I really enjoyed the lyrics ‘you have a fear of the phantoms, declare a war on you notion/you break us out of the prison but still the bars are between us.’
The sixth track on the album Same Each Time is another sombre track with moody lyrics and light percussion sounds. Adrian’s voice on this track is haunting along with the harmonies with the only female in the group Beth Dariti.
Pebbles & Stones starts with a pretty guitar fingerpicking melody and then the soft vocals sing ‘Hey can I borrow your time, I’ve got something on my mind that I have to say/you see your way is my way or you can take the highway.’ The lyrics were probably the most complex on the entire album and left a prolonged meaning for me.
Seven Hours has the most powerful lyrical message on the album, with relatable lyrics such as ‘Seven hours, all I own/ I spend every night before my debts through blood-shot eyes, never paying it off.’ Unlike any other songs the album this song had a minute long intro of soft percussion and light guitar strings.
Where are the Roses is the second to last track on the album and is another chilling vocal performance from Adrian Roye. My favourite lyrics were ‘Ignorance is not the remedy but administered to me daily/ now the side-effect is the normality I’m under, take a trip inside the looking-glass/ if the role reversed would you still be asking, where are the roses.’
The final track on the album is titled I Claim You, a slightly upbeat track that is a perfect ending to the album. Following the same flow of the album, this song has a lingering effect on your ears even when it has finished. A beautiful melody with more talent-filled song writing with lyrics such as ‘I build my house out of matchsticks to night, keep one spare for the striking, under the foundations/ Where giants roamed, now only bones of those who came before decorate their ground.’
Their music is a combination of folk and afro-inspired roots music, with hints of country, jazz, acoustic and funk. Adrian’s richly emotive vocals and guitar lie at the heart of the band’s sound, in a style reminiscent of singer-songwriters such as Tracy Chapman. Music news is calling their new album a ‘Quiet masterpiece.’ I have to agree with this comment, although the album is an arc of only soft ballads with poignant lyrics, the band manages to differ each song from the next.
I was pleasantly surprised by an obscure band categorised in the genre of Afro-folk. Their beautiful lyrics and simple yet effective melodies have pulled at my heartstrings, leaving me slightly breathless by the beauty of their sound. I am calling their album 'Breathtakingly Brilliant.'
I am proud to say that I am now a fan of the Exiles and I can’t wait to finish this review so I can listen to their album all over again.
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