Vlor - Six-Winged

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5...according to our Phil on Thu 29 Oct, 2009.

There's some bits in on the Silber label this week. One of which is a CD by Vlor who I've not heard before. I did somehow manage to review the first album without even listening to it. That's well poor..... It was probably sealed or something, damned that plastic... Anyway Vlor is a supergroup featuring Brian John Mitchell (who runs Silber), Jessica Bailiff, Annelies Monsere, Jon Derosa (Aarktica) and another 8 folks.... So they're more of a collective these days as different people play on different tracks giving the album a varied yet cohesive feel. The albums veers from genre to genre (shoegazing, dreampop, drone, slowcore and there's even a garage rock tune on there!) but it works well together. The general feel of the album is pretty downbeat (with the odd exception) and there's a bit of a goth thing going on at moments. Well over half of it would sit really nicely on 4AD's mid 80's.... Roster. It's one of the most interesting albums I've heard in a long while and one I'd deffo recommend you to check out!. Six-Winged is CD only.

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“...a purely artistic endeavor in which the musicians communicate with one another. This communication translates into the substance of the music. Confusing, soothing, abstract... an interesting trip into the minds of those involved in the real undercurrents of modern audio art.” ~ Babysue

Vlor started as a short-lived moody pop band in 1992 & was revived as an acoustic shoegazing duo in 1997 releasing the EPs Lavished & Luxate before falling apart again in 1998. In 2006 the posthumous Sacred Places in the City was released & Vlor was relaunched as a group of musicians collaborating through the mail to record A Fire is Meant for Burning. The new album, Six-Winged, is Vlor’s second album as a collection of Silber all-stars working together.

Six-Winged started with Brian John Mitchell (Remora/Small Life Form) recording guitars & bass lines & sending them out to friends to augment & complete. Returning with Mitchell (bass, guitar, vocals) to Vlor are Jon DeRosa of Aarktica (guitar), Jessica Bailiff (guitar, percussion, keyboard), & Paolo Messere of 6PM (guitar, bass, percussion, keyboard) to be joined by new members Annelies Monseré (guitar, cello, vocals, melodica, piano), Martin Newman of Plumerai & Goddakk (guitar), Mae Starr of Rollerball & Moodring (vocals), Jim DeJong of Infant Cycle (strings), Michael Walton of mwvm (guitar), Brian McKenzie of Electric Bird Noise & Something About Vampires And Sluts (guitar, bass, percussion), Michael Wood of Something About Vampires And Sluts & The Wet Teens (vocals), & Magen McAvenney (vocals). Yeah, we know, it’s a ton of folks.

Through sixteen tracks Vlor goes through several musical styles, from slowcore (“i have left home,” “she goes out with boys”) to garage rock (“watch me bleed”) to drone rock (“damage the land & the sea”) to moody pop (“not the one for me”) to aggressive ambient (“tolerate the wicked,” “maybe you should chew on my fist”) to cinematic soundscapes (“guided,” “statue of jealousy”). Despite being recorded in six states & five countries, delving into a half dozen genres, & having twelve
creative voices; Six-Winged maintains its focus as a cohesive album always maintaining the dichotomy of sound that is so distinctively Vlor – brooding, searching, angst-ridden, & celebratory.

Tracks:

1. i have left home
2. without blame
3. guided
4. never to be rebuilt
5. she goes out with boys
6. tolerate the wicked
7. damage the land & the sea
8. watch me bleed
9. children's teeth
10. statue of jealousy
11. will i see you again
12. maybe you should chew on my fist
13. not the one for me
14. young lions
15. boundaries of the land
16. i have left home (reprise)