“At sixty-nine minutes in total length, and with several songs lasting over five minutes, the listener has to invest a lot. Patience and perseverance will be rewarded with the discovery of an excellent album.”
“At sixty-nine minutes in total length, and with several songs lasting over five minutes, the listener has to invest a lot. Patience and perseverance will be rewarded with the discovery of an excellent album.”
Charalambides – Likeness
Charalambides are Tom and Christine Carter, a divorced duo from America, but I would advise you to remove all thoughts of Tom and Meg White from your minds. Likeness, a 2007 release, is a vast and consuming record far removed from mainstream posturing and familial blues. To describe Likeness is almost impossible – at times these songs sound like they have been beamed to your stereo from within a dense and inaccessible rural community, and to fully digest this record requires great effort. At sixty-nine minutes in total length, and with several songs lasting over five minutes, the listener has to invest a lot. Patience and perseverance will be rewarded with the discovery of an excellent album.Opening salvo Uncloudy Day is largely a piano and vocal piece, and only towards the end of the song are guitars phased in to add an extra dimension. This brooding build-up, without culminating crescendo, is a characteristic of the album. If any musical style is discernibly an influence then it is folk; though this is neither Bob Dylan nor Woody Guthrie. Rather, the folk influence is borne out in the lyrics, largely attributed as traditional, and the bucolic, environmental images that are conjured by the serene music.
Indeed, much of the musical content is ethereal and surreal with the meanings of the songs very much open to interpretation. While Likeness is unworldly at times it is brought closer to earth by the lyrics to What You Do For Money. ‘What you do for money, what you do for rent, take a look inside, are you spent?’ asks Carter. This concern with remuneration resulting in identity crisis lends the album a welcome, “human” feel. Aside from the diverse musical arrangements there are familiar sounds here; most notably Christine Carter’s vocal on Do You See?, evoking memories of Robert Plant’s wail, albeit in a restrained fashion.This is not music based around guitar licks and pop melodies, but there is a whimsical charm to it that can carry you away. The difficulty with this album is its staggering length and depth. It is easy to be bewildered by the quantity of music here, and those wanting a light listen would do well to steer clear. Those interested to hear a creative album of delicate and ruminating folk music should delve in.
Words: Craig Pierce