Label: Asthmatic Kitty
Released: Oct 11, 2005 |
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Looking back at my review of Castanets' debut, Cathedral, I really think it deserved better. An 8 is surely nothing to scoff at, but it was one of those albums that rarely left my stereo over this past year…a modern classic, if you will. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait for Raymond Raposa and company to create another masterpiece of gothic Americana.
The songs on First Light's Freeze, are woven together by spooky interludes and much like Cathedral, it’s a murky album. Castanets haven’t changed their formula drastically, but it doesn’t mean that they’ve made the same record again. “Into The Night” is what the darkness sounds like when you’re driving on a country road late in the evening. It’s full of chilling tension that can break at any given second and will leave you nervously rocking back and forth in anticipation. On the contrary, “A Song Is Not The Song Of The World” is driven by an electronic drum-beat, and haunting, chanted vocals. It still has a dreary vibe, but by Castanets’ standards, the song is about as upbeat as they come.
“No Voice Was Raised” is an epic performance that begins quietly with electronic drums and sadly strummed guitar. Eventually, it engulfs your speakers with a grandiose, psychedelic explosion. “All That I Know To Have Changed In You” conveys worlds of emotion with little more than atmospheric strings and Raymond Raposa’s shaky, wounded vocals.
If you liked Castanets’ debut, then First Light's Freeze will not disappoint. Without sounding redundant, they’ve maintained their penchant for creating folk music that is experimental, yet deeply moving.
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