Nova Scotian Arms - Cult Spectrum

Grant Evans, who is also of Quiet Evenings alongside his wife
Rachel (aka Motion Sickness Of Time Travel) and co-curator of
the Hooker Vision label, is the brains behind Nova Scotian
Arms. Throughout numerous releases he has shown a
consistent ability to keep listeners guessing as he explores
endless sonic territories. With 'Cult Spectrum', Evans is
drowning himself in a hazy aural sea.

Like much of his work, there is a very distinct mood on 'Cult
Spectrum'. This is funereal music that is stretched to breaking
point - distant echoes are buried underground in a delicate mix
of sounds that are as cosmic as they are organic. This duality is
at play straight-off with the masterful opener,
"Gathering/Composition." Soaring in crystal skies on beds of
hiss, each strained note from Evans' Rhodes piano emerges
from the murk like an anchor keeping the song and the mood
forlorn.

Tape-loops and radio interference deliciously muddy the waters
on the 16+ minute "Emulsion," combining all those and more
into a cacophonous stew. Acoustic guitars circle around in a
swirling synthetic drain - each wave emerging in stages as
Evans shows considerable compositional skill in the way the
piece is put together. With "Overcast (1st Delay)" comes a
melancholic, skyward glance, taking shape through tonal
dichotomies.

This is the sound of dissonance sculpted and shaped into
something far greater than the sum of its parts, leaving its mark
long after the final, ghostly seconds of "Hearse Overdub
(Decomposition)" fade away. Evans is digging a tunnel,
heading straight for the sun.

Tracklisting:

SIDE A
1. Gathering/Composition
2. Overcast (1st Delay)
3. Citadel

SIDE B
1. Emulsion
2. Hearse Overdub (Decomposition)

So, what do you think? Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!