Reigns - The House On The Causeway

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Customer reviews
Press release

5...according to our Business Lady on Fri 06 Mar, 2009.

'The house on the causeway' is the new long player from Reigns and the follow up to 'We lowered the microphone into the ground' which saw the band recording in a 'seemingly bottomless' hole in the sommerset downs and “Styne Vallis”, which was recorded in and around a submerged village that had been evacuated and strategically flooded in 1970 to make way for a new reservoir!! I assume the beautifully package follow up was recorded in the confines of a regular recording studio as the record is beautifully produced. In parts uplifting and occasionally unnerving 'The house on the causeway' is a mix of subtle electronica and folk rock. In parts it reminds me of the low key writing style adopted by the likes of The for Carnation with it's grand piano motifs and sweeping electronic ambience. The piano plays a large role in invoking the appropriate atmosphere and essentially leads each track with the accompanying instruments adding weight to the sound without overwhelming the hushed vocal tones which at times remind us of Fog. This is Reigns first release on Monotreme records which is home to 65 Days of Static, Stinking Lizaveta and a dozen other sterling acts so that should be recommendation enough but If that doesn't convince you to take a listen then just take my word for it, this is a classy release!!! Get involved.

Limited vinyl version of the LP on 180 gm vinyl with a free CD of the album. Operatives A & B began recording for the Reigns organisation in 2002. Their first album, “We Lowered a Microphone into the Ground”, was a series of recordings made within a seemingly “bottomless” hole found upon the Somerset Downs. Their follow-up, “Styne Vallis”, was recorded in and around a submerged village that had been evacuated and strategically flooded in 1970 to make way for a new reservoir. “The House on the Causeway” is their third long player. “In the cellar, an agitation of wings; in the attic, the sound of fingernails splintering upon the hinges of a trap door; in the scullery, the sound of a senseless mass being repeatedly dashed against the walls; in every room in that house a different reverberation, a different voice. That house: a house that does not appear on any map, which cannot be seen from the shore, from the sea, from the air. That house….the House on the Causeway. Third album of darkly beautiful avant-folk/electronica from Reigns Operatives A and B. “Ghostly ambience, distorted vocals and eerie electronics segue beautifully into instrumental breaks of folky melodica and chilling stabs of piano, the whole package unfurling with an ethereal grandeur that charms and unsettles in equal measure.” [Canned Applause] “Reigns create worlds of sound for your mind to explore and spend eternity in; their supernatural ghostly environments are captivating and beautiful and encourage repeat visits. The House on the Causeway is just like that; a mysterious and entertaining record that will haunt you and keep your brain working overtime for a very, very long. What more could you ask for in an album? Not much, I would think.” [Firstcoastnews.com]

Tracks :

1. (frontplate)
2. Bad Slate
3. Everything Beyond These Walls Has Been Razed
4. Mirrors At Night
5. Crex, Crex, Crex
6. Vaulted
7. Mab Crease
8. Take It Down
9. Your Tiny Hand Is Frozen
10. The Black Cramp
11. (endplate)

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