Sian Alice Group - The Dusk Line (12" vinyl, CD)

“Sian Alice Group can improv better than a pack of aged jazz musicians, but they also make some of the most gorgeous, melodic music. Sian Ahern’s voice can induce weeping if listened to in the right setting.” - XLR8R. The Dusk Line EP is comprised of four songs recorded during work on Sian Alice Group’s debut album 59.59 in the summer of 2007. For this release they opted to work on a smaller scale, stripping their sound down to just layered grand piano and voice. Featuring contributions from just two members of the group, Rupert Clervaux and vocalist Sian Ahern, The Dusk Line is an exercise in restraint. It was recorded at London’s The Garden, utilizing layered piano parts all performed by Clervaux. Sian Alice Group have become known for their sweeping, orchestrated aesthetic, but The Dusk Line distills their sound to its core. Rather than using the EP format to flesh out one single, Sian Alice Group instead utilize the format’s brevity to create a concise but wholly realized idea. Starting the EP is the title track, a beautiful pop song. The EP draws elements from 59.59, including ‘Days Of Grace II,’ a gorgeous melodic song that echoes 59.59’s ‘Days Of Grace III,’ and ‘When... (Variation),’ an alternate version of the album track of the same name that reconfigures the song for just piano and Sian’s mesmerizing vocal. Rounding out The Dusk Line is ‘October’s Piano,’ a short improvisation by Rupert Clervaux. The resulting EP feels like a scaled down, although no less impactful, version of 59.59. It is a release that helps illustrate the diversity of the band’s sound and wide-ranging nature of its ambition. (Vinyl is non-returnable you don’t have to take vinyl if you are in the Collective.) Tracks : the dusk line (3.44) • days of grace ii (2.28) october’s piano (1.24) • when... (variation) (3.42)

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