{"id":18755,"date":"2016-03-13T14:48:27","date_gmt":"2016-03-13T14:48:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=18755"},"modified":"2016-03-14T12:20:34","modified_gmt":"2016-03-14T12:20:34","slug":"poetry-in-motion-chord-strike-the-right-note-with-ode-to-scarlet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2016\/03\/poetry-in-motion-chord-strike-the-right-note-with-ode-to-scarlet\/","title":{"rendered":"POETRY IN MOTION – Chord strike the right note with ‘Ode to Scarlet’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Chord-BandMembers<\/p>\n

Often music comes across my desk from bands I’ve never heard of before and am unlikely to hear of again, but occasionally, just occasionally, you hear something new that puts a smile on your face and a spring in your step.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

That’s exactly what happened with\u00a0Ode to Scarlet<\/strong> \u00a0<\/strong><\/em>– the second album by West Midlands trio\u00a0Chord.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everything about this record reeks of good taste, from the beautifully designed cover art, to the lovingly crafted music within.<\/p>\n

Singer\/lyricist\u00a0\u00a0Anthony La Pusata<\/strong>‘s voice is an instrument in itself, crystal clear and pristine and he receives fine support from\u00a0Darren Barnard\u00a0<\/strong>(keyboards\/guitar\/electronics) and\u00a0Girish Patel\u00a0<\/strong>on drums and bass.<\/p>\n

Songs such as album opener\u00a0Yesterday’s Storm,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>with its thundery effects and clever use of double-tracked vocals, show they know their way around the studio.<\/p>\n

But they’re not afraid to let a song breathe as on the immense title track and the piano-led\u00a0Fight.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

They can be shamelessly poppy as on\u00a0To Have And To Hold\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>and the romantic\u00a0Ugly Like Knives,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0but always avoid being bombastic or trite.<\/p>\n

There’s a seamless blending of the acoustic and the electronic and even when they come over a bit\u00a0Gary Numan <\/strong>on\u00a0Science\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>it sounds authentic.<\/p>\n

The epic, sweeping\u00a0Someone\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>in which La\u00a0Pusata’s vocals float across a wash of feedback guitar is a highlight along with\u00a0Life Support Machine<\/strong><\/em>, which has echoes of the mighty\u00a0Kraftwerk\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>in its closing keyboard refrain.<\/p>\n

For a relatively new band, Chord sound like they’ve been around forever, with a sound vaguely reminiscent of Mark Hollis’\u00a0<\/strong>post-rock pioneers\u00a0Talk Talk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Ode to Scarlet<\/strong><\/em> is a very well made record deserving of a wider audience. Here’s hoping it gets one.<\/p>\n

It’s out now on ITunes<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Amazon<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Find out more about Chord on their official website<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n