First things first. All three current members of School Of Seven Bells are very attractive. Yeah, I know, it’s supposed to be ‘about the music’, but image is just as important in indie-land as it is in the mainstream, and these guys could comfortably take their place in the pantheon of indie fashionistas. Which does have relevance to the band’s long term direction – more of which, later. So, the music?
Being a band that plays guitar based pop without a drummer, they definitely fall into my personal field of interest. The follow up to their debut, Alpinisms, Disconnect From Desire is a logical progression, keeping many aspects of their sound but also moving on. The biggest difference is the extra sheen given to the songs, particularly in the machine rhythms. Disconnect From Desire feels much more straight forward than its predecessor. Processed samples and electronic ethno-percussion have made way for shimmering early 90s drum programming. These are the kinds of sounds and rhythms that rose to saturation levels in the wake of the Madchester scene, just as it began to morph into shoegaze. The harmonised vocals, swirly guitar and drum rhythms bring to mind obvious antecedents such as Lush and Curve. The first half of the album is decidedly ‘up’ in its rhythm and mood and is firmly in the mould of another early 90s band with dream-pop inclinations, The Darling Buds. Much of the ethereal gothic-ness of the debut has been replaced, and the vocal meanderings that had links to freak/folk have been rounded down to more straight forward pop modes. Melodically, there are no huge standout tracks, but hooks do begin to appear with repeated listening. ‘Bye Bye Bye’ introduces and attractive two note synth riff which stands out from the relatively homogeneous pool of sounds used across the album.
I guess it’s nice not to have to listen to another early 80s influenced act, but simply transposing your influence to another era doesn’t actually solve the problem, however. The album also shows up just how small electronic rhythms from the early 90s can sound when grafted into guitar music. I really loved this type of thing at the time, but it feels so lightweight in the face of the consequent evolution of the strands of electronica and guitar based rock, both of which have become, in a 20 year generalisation, heavier, grittier and more textured. Yes, it could just be a case of ears becoming unused to ‘nicely’ recorded sounds and lush texture. But it seems a bit of a creative dead end to simply regurgitate so completely, one particular strand of the past.
Disconnect From Desire definitely has the gloss that could attract School Of Seven Bells wider mainstream appeal, in accordance with their image. The album itself is quite likable and, on a superficial level, I’ve enjoyed it, if not absolutely loved it. But in rubbing away some of their more caustic, and distinctive, edges and plundering just one specific scene for their influences, School Of Seven Bells run the risk of becoming another retro band with little to add of themselves.
Adrian Elmer
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