Some sages say that everything that’s going on in our outer world reflects what’s going on in our inner universe. In this day and age, only a quick glance at the world should suggest that bringing balance at large might be in order – but it probably won’t happen until we find some inner peace first. This quest for an inner equilibrium is the driving inspiration behind Bruce Soord‘s latest solo album “Luminescence,” due out on September 22nd, 2023, via KScope. Born from days touring cities around the world, the new endeavor features field recordings from Soord‘s various wanderings and, perhaps serving as a counterweight to the humdrum of modern metropolises, the acoustic guitar takes center stage. Flirting with atmospheric electronica, the melancholic undercurrent of the selection conveys a unique sense of poised stillness, a zen state of mind even, if you will. The album title refers to the phenomenon of emitting light without being heated, as in fluorescence or phosphorescence – an inner light of sorts. The more I bathe my ears in the album’s introspective luminescence, the more sense the title begins to make.
Previously, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and The Pineapple Thief mastermind Bruce Soord has released two solo albums, the eponymous debut in 2015 and “All This Will Be Yours” in 2019, the latter of which finally made its way to my ears, too, largely because of one song – “The Solitary Path of A Convicted Man.” Of course, The Pineapple Thief had been on heavy rotation much longer, so the subtle similarities helped a bit to make a good impression. Soord‘s solo material leans a bit more toward the atmospheric side of post-prog where David Sylvian‘s sophisticated chamber pop meets the widescreen soundscapes of post-Roger–Waters era PINK FLOYD. This new effort is one of those albums you definitely must listen to with headphones in order to savor the immersive, widescreen soundscapes in full and get to the finest nuances of the music.
Orchestrations in these new songs sound so delicious they need to be mentioned, in particular. The string arrangements are done by Andrew Skeet, a longtime member of The Divine Comedy, whose soundtrack work has been featured on many films and TV shows from Black Mirror to David Attenborough’s Green Planet. Here and there, you might even get subtle flashbacks of Johann Johansson‘s iridescent soundtrack works, most notably on the track, “Olomouc.” The symbiosis of minimalist string bursts and acoustic guitars works wonders throughout the album; sometimes the effect is closer to the trip-hop sound of MORCHEEBA, like in “Never Ending Light,” while other songs resonate more with the air of melancholy pop of artists such as Perry Blake or ELSIANE, like in “Day of All Days.”
Then, “Nestle in” triggers nice UNKLE vibes, specifically from the band’s “Never, Never Land” (2004) era; maybe it stems from the subtle breakbeats and ear-tickling bass tone. I’m pretty sure this song (or just the bassline!) would really rock when played through a powerful sound system! Come to think about it, Brian Eno featured on that particular UNKLE effort and Bruce Soord‘s latest endeavor does have more than a good ounce of that vibe. By contrast, the follow-up track, “Instant Flash of Light” could be from the COLDPLAY songbook of yesteryear, yet this transition sounds like the most natural course the music could have flowed.
I think there isn’t a song on the album that isn’t drenched in cavernous reverb; that’s one more reason to put on those headphones. This is the standard procedure on any postrock outing, but Soord‘s aesthetic is a tad more pop-oriented; the songs actually have structures, although not necessarily the worn-out AABA thing, and they also have lyrics, of course. Thematically, the songs appear almost as small, satori-like observations about the human condition as depicted through the prism of personal experience. In this respect, the album is the kindred spirit to David Sylvian‘s haunting “Dead Bees on A Cake” (1999) or some of those recent endeavors by Peter Gabriel.
On more than one occasion, I have dubbed the British post-progger, Tim Bowness, the Zen master of speaking silently through music; the same moniker fits Bruce Soord equally well. Apparently, human bioluminescence in visible light does exist but it’s just too dim for our eyes to pick up on. By contrast, Bruce Soord‘s latest solo offering literally glimmers with an inner glow that is so bright that you can see the music even without the aid of any dubious psychedelics. Befittingly, this is perfect music for the twilight hours of the night, or the dusk of autumn, so the luminescent quality of the music comes in pretty handy specifically at this time of year.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Dear Life
- Lie Flat
- Olomouc
- So Simple
- Never Ending Light
- Day of All Days
- Nestle In
- Instant Flash of Light
- Rushing
- Stranded Here
- Read to Me
- Find Peace
Lineup
Bruce Soord – pretty much everything, I guess
Label
KScope
