Watch This Fire Spread - Picture House Soul

Customer reviews
Press release

Picture House Soul started life as a project album. Mark Roberts (founder fire spreader) wanted twelve singers for twelve songs to adorn his delicate piano compositions. A few confused and intense rehearsal sessions later and Watch This Fire Spread was born with a trio of singers and a rhythm section that have never had delicate in their vocabulary.

“It was a huge accident; this was never meant to be a band. At every stage we’ve just been having a laugh, we played a few shows and now it’s got a life of its own,” says Mark.

Through Gina Walter’s gospel soprano sultriness, the talented brooding troubadour that is Louis Romégoux, and Justin Lewis, (whose Justin Lewis Orchestra were label mates with the Beastie Boys on Grand Royal Records), Watch This Fire Spread deliver the emotional rollercoaster that is Picture House Soul.

Picture House Soul was recorded entirely out of the studio and by the band themselves, in bedrooms, rehearsal rooms, living rooms, wherever there was space, and only for the final mix did the band bring in the talents of Alan Smyth (Arctic Monkeys, Richard Hawley). Picture House Soul is full of contrasts; bitter sweet, light and dark, love and betrayal.

Opener Reverberate swoops over and around you as you listen; while the gruff vaudevillian accordion driven melancholy of Misery And Wine is both touching and heartening; Light The Way provides the kind of upbeat chorus that was made for yelling from cliff tops; and as the piano strains of Honoured come to a close the journey Picture House Soul takes you on is over and you are alone once more.

Anthony and the Johnsons, The Eels, Tom Waits, Jeff Buckley and Nick Cave have all spent at least one night in Sheffield (some of them in the cells), each obviously left a little something behind which somehow leaked into Picture House Soul. A debut album of rare grace and beauty.

5...according to Paul Jenkins.

Out of the star laden dream sequence design of an album, the CD slides into the player and lonesome piano music issues forth.

"Reverberate" is like Anthony & The Johnsons covering "great gig in the sky", epic and ever expanding into fireworks and heaven. Three very distinct singers come out to play on this track and the effect is of hypnosis and awe.

"Light the way" rocks back and forth in self comfort. A femail voice cries over and over for something to take care of "her". Upbeat, dark and strangely spooky.

"Lovers" is great sleazy off beat rock song that builds and falls and builds up until finally exploding into a melee of horns and voices. Really quite good and dirty.

"Coming up fast" begins with chiming piano and wailing voice before settling into a stomping funk rhythm. The song's about someone finding new love, but confusion and doubt litter the words to make you think that maybe they haven't afterall.

"Never be alone" is an instumental track that could be found on the blue velvet, x-files or twin peaks. This band like eeirie and slightly sinister soundscapes.

"Misery & Wine" brings the previously muted gruff voice of the band into the light, perhaps the darkest song I've ever heard, but it gives me goosebumps as the tale of misunderstanding and delusion unravel... songs of love, regret and redemption are soaked into this album.

"Watch this fire spread"...ahh like a piss after a long car journey, all the tension built up so far is washed away. Balls out screaming rage of a song, outrageously funky, strindantly confident and the two male vocalists duel through a maze of horns stabs and bluesy backing. Quite something else.

"Morning Parade" is as sexual as it sounds. The mix of moods and emotions is both incredible and head spinning. Fuzz bass, rocking rantinosity garnish this stomping tale of a rollercoaster relationship.

"But it all ends tonight" starts like a Tom Waits song, a throatsome croak "And how do we go on from our little love storms", reminds me of the murderous duets as the band strike in and a female vocal wordlessly careses the rolling rhythms. Then a full male tenor voice burts forth, a splendid high cry of reassurance "you'll never be alone this lifetime" it rolls and rolls and rolls. Touching and beautiful.

"Eyes Open" I think i can get away with describing this as another spooky breather as a striped down instrumental meanders by enabling me to catch my breath.

Finally "Honuored" is a beautiful ode to love that paints pretty child like picture in your head and makes simple pledges of devotion and love.

Funny when the whole album simmers with tales of love, regret, fear and loss before the final chapter of "But it all ends" and "Honoured" bring reassurance, affirmation, love and devotion.

Heavy stuff and like nothing I've experienced from an album before. "Picture House Soul" is a jouney through every corner of your mind, light and dark.

After three listens I am both exhausted and amazed that in the x-factor world we live in, music like this still makes it out there, still untouched by the soul vacuum that exists around it, still pounding with a heart of genuine emotion and beguiling honesty.

"Watch This Fire Spread" sound like they fell together in almost accidental circumstances.
I hope this is just the first of many accidents.

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