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27

Holding On For Brighter Days

Label: Undergroove Recordings Release Date: 05/09/2005

9429
-Raz- by Raziq Rauf September 12th, 2005

Floating across your stereo like a butterfly-kissed English summer afternoon comes the breathtaking new album from Boston's 27*. Taking a pleasant diversion from the heavier majority of the already impressive Undergroove roster (Aereogramme, Eden Maine, Twin Zero) this American trio play delicate chill-out music that is almost _too _remixable into summer post-club anthems with the synthesised delays supporting the vocals, warped, perverted strings and mesmerising bass. A long string of beautifully wistful ballads often hint toward the melodic melancholy of Zero 7 and vocalist *Maria Christopher's gentle and harmonious tones carry you through fond memories of Mazzy Stay and folksters Azure Ray.

Fellow Bostonian, Cliff Meyer of Isis, features on one of the darker tracks early on in the album ('1001 Gods'), lending an even deeper sense of anguish to proceedings, which is only slightly relieved on the penultimate song ('The Downfall of the Upright'). It goes some way to rocking out with distorted guitars and more urgency about the drumming and Christopher's vocals, herself reaching the levels of animation last seen from Kim Deal on Title TK. Yeah, this album really does go that crazy. With standout songs like 'Half Life' where soporific piano twinkles through the wholly despondent lyrical focus, you clearly have to be in the right, or rather the wrong, mood to truly wallow in this magnificent music. Get dumped; buy this.

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