The Soft Cavalry – S/T (Bella Union)
Well, this is lovely! The Soft Cavalry are husband and
wife duo Steve Clarke and Rachel Goswell, the latter a founding member
of Slowdive. Steve’s brother, Michael, produced the album.
So, very much a family affair, with a sound that harks back to the
classic dream pop LPs of the early ‘90s, but with enough contemporary
flourishes to mark them out as something far more modern and current. They’re
also eager to mix things up a bit, whether it’s the rhythmic tic of ‘Bulletproof’
or the beautifully elegiac ‘Only In Dreams’, where spectral woodwind merges
with the duo’s voices to wondrous effect.
‘Spiders’ might be the obvious single - if such things existed
anymore – where bass and keyboards entwine and entrance, not unlike The Cure in
their chart worrying pop prime. They bring things to a climax of sorts with the
slow burning epic ‘The Ever Turning Wheel’. A ponderously slow intro builds
tension and anticipation to heavenly heights before an aural reprieve is
generously granted – great stuff!
Rollo
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