Reviews

Another Life by Carl Jenkinson of Electrogarden

It's been little short of amazing to witness this British acts' transformation from the OK techno band of yore, whose many UK festival appearances acted as a good time to visit the bar/stalls/toilet/nearest Mcdonalds into the versatile and dynamic act they have become. The release of the album "The Unmistakeable Sound Of Sloth" in early 2001 was a quantum leap forward in this band's evolution while this superb new album continues the band's development, taking their sound to new heights of power and emotion with the addition of vocals for the first time. 'In House' chanteuse/lyricist Lahannya adds a warm sensual touch every track she sings on, be it the up-tempo "Trigger", the ethnically-inspired wordless voice that grace "Plainsong" and a lovely performance on "Human Nature" she's certainly a talent that the band have done well to discover and nurture.

A number of guest vocalists lend their talents, too, including Sandrine of Seize, whose delicate, beautiful voice graces the wonderfully chilled opener "It's That Time Of The Year" (which should also appeal to anyone who enjoyed Moby's "Porceline"), Swarf's Liz Green, who adds her distinctive style to the poppy "See No Reason" and Roi from Mechanical Cabaret who gives a typically laconic performance on "Try Harder" (listen also for the John Foxx rhythm sounds in there, too!).

Musically, the band are clearly going from strength to strength with a consistently powerful and majestic but still varied sound that's fit to make your heart soar through the fusion of John Williams' guitar work and the electronics of Steve Bellamy, Andy Page and Frank Drake in unison with some blindingly powerful rhythms that the band use to good effect time and time again. Such is it's effectiveness it's a trick that you never get tired of hearing, the languid "Delusions" which builds up to a stunning crescendo, the Indian instrumental Solar One" and the more mysterious title track being just three good examples of this. It's also a versatile album, taking in elements of rock and big beat with similarities to Moby and even a touch of Fat Boy Slim here and there, most noticeably with the funky "Rockstar" which has the potential to be massive while the new-wave touches of "One Day Closer" might well appeal to fans of Joy Division et al, despite the modern electronic touches that accompany the old-skool rhythms and guitar.

In years to come it's a fair bet that this will be seen as the landmark album that really announced Greenhaus arrival as a major player in the modern music scene so don't miss out and make this superb album yours today.

RATING: 9

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