Listening to this, the new album from Tunng, at times feels like being thrust into some dystopian Neil Gaiman world where steampunk machines are interbred with the natural sounds of folk. At least that's the impression I get and it's due in no small part to their seamless marriage of electronic and folk (folktronica if you will). When all is said and done though, there are parts of this album which are truly extraordinary and levitate you away from a humdrum existence. This is the world of Tunng.
Opening track ‘Once’ is a great demonstration of this perfect symbiosis of the natural and the machine. Its bleeps and blips integrate beautifully with the soft acoustic sounds, only to be transported by the stunningly lovely vocals that accompany them. A sweet match of boy/girl vocals that have a weariness to them blowing away any thoughts of bubblegum pop. Tunng are serious at what they do and damn clever.
There is a sort of stateliness about Tunng which is highlighted by the crescendo building of ‘By This’. This is all done in a way which never gets overpowering as we are guided to its conclusion leaving us breathless and waiting for me.
The pace is lifted for first single ‘The Village’ which builds on this initial feeling of dystopia. Interestingly the electronica seems to drop off although you never know quite what you are listening to such is the excellence of playing. It seems that Tunng have managed to find a way to balance their earlier, bleepier music with something that is much more organic. This is a good thing and one that will stand them in good stead.
The incessant marching rhythm of ‘Bloodlines’ does its best to creep you out as we reach the halfway point of the album and then Tunng seem to stumble as their ideas start to turn a little flat. The earlier promise of the album starts to stumble as Tunng disappear ever more into their own world. This is rescued by ‘Embers’ but by then the density of the songs and a strange loss of melody make it a slight disappointment. Only slight though as the first half is absolutely terrific.
