Melanie Garside recorded the 21 songs on this 2 CD set some time ago in a variety of places. She plays bass in her sister's band Queen Adreena and has her name on a number of other projects besides. The musical languages of Queen Adreena and Maple Bee could hardly be more different but (this only seems to be a secret within music journalism circles) most natural musicians are adept at playing and enjoying a much wider range of styles and instruments than their audiences are generally prepared to tolerate.
The danger is that a musician who reveals all in the space of a year or two can be singled out as "prodigious" or "multitalented" or some other scary put-off word. In much the same way, knocking out a double album of innovative stuff as a side project definitely risks missing out in the sluggish schedules of tour agents, radio playlists and ezine writers. (weeks late already, me). Musicians work fast – the wheels of the industry grind very small and very slow.
"Chasing Eva" is, nevertheless, a pretty luxurious offering. There's a lot of reassurance in knowing that the whole sound and most of the instruments are controlled and played by Ms Bee herself. There are some archetypal female rock things in her voice – the gasp of breath before a line, the cultivated roughness that alternates with the pure icy notes. You will hear the Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks or Joanna Newsom moments at various points - where the passion of the delivery seems to convey so much more intensity than the words or instrumentation imply. It’s a kind of formula and it generally seems to work pretty well.
Strong free-standing songs are not an obvious part of the package. She was on a roll with a general approach that could probably have continued indefinitely. The collection works by having a consistent feel and a regular turnaround of textures and instrumentation. Real and electronic sounds are mixed very deftly. The album could easily fill up whole weekends without any need to find different CDs to slot in. It’s a bit spaced out, a bit awed and a bit yearning for unreachable things. "I want to know which way to go" is a typical enough line, as each song tries on a fresh set of electronic blends.
|
So it’s pretty good. On balance I think it’s reasonable to want an artist to be more decisive and more selective than this. "What is it that Maple Bee wants us to do?", I'm thinking. "Give up the best part of an hour an half to listen to all her songs?" It’s a huge demand that we would normally allow to only the most trusted genius. A relative newcomer needs to be more modest and more focussed. One arresting song is all we need. Once captured we could then be persuaded to take in an EP. And then anticipate the ten track album with relish. Back with the industry again: they might be dull witted clods, but they're not completely devoid of native wit. This double CD doesn’t feel like a smart commercial move and it doesn’t quite go far enough to become the cult masterpiece that it might one day be described as.
|
