Review from Gigwise
You can easily imagine James Hoare strolling around enveloped in a hazy, paisley cloud of psychedelia, on his way to a late-afternoon hookah bar brainstorming session with the ghost of Syd Barrett. Hoare, who also logs time in London alt-pysch band Ultimate Painting and indie-pop outfit Veronica Falls, is half the creative team of the Proper Ornaments, whose new album, “Foxhole,” is due for a late January release.
You can easily imagine James Hoare strolling around enveloped in a hazy, paisley cloud of psychedelia, on his way to a late-afternoon hookah bar brainstorming session with the ghost of Syd Barrett. Hoare, who also logs time in London alt-pysch band Ultimate Painting and indie-pop outfit Veronica Falls, is half the creative team of the Proper Ornaments, whose new album, “Foxhole,” is due for a late January release.
Hoare
formed the Proper Ornaments in 2010 with Argentine expat Maximo Oscarnold (aka
Max Claps), who was rescued from a messy situation in Buenos Aires by none
other than former Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham. “Foxhole” is their
second proper full-length album, following a string of EPs and singles and 2014’s
“Wooden Head.” The new disc eschews most of the rock elements of its
predecessor to focus squarely on the more contemplative aspects of neo-psyche
songwriting.
“Foxhole”
consists of 11 simple, straightforward tracks built around a no-muss mix of
guitar, bass, drums and piano, augmenting hushed (in some cases, nearly
whispered) vocals a la Jesus and Mary Chain. The mood is mostly somber and
inward-looking, but not cold or lacking in emotion, and unfailingly melodic.
Hoare and Claps wear their influences on their billowy sleeves, inviting
glances into the review mirror via song titles like “Back Pages,” “Memories,”
“1969” and “When We Were Young.”
The
album gets off to a promising start with “Back Pages,” the titular Dylan reference
reflected in the ringing guitars reminiscent of preeminent Zimmerman
interpreters the Byrds. When the Proper Ornaments follow that with “Cremated
(Blown Away),” a melodic ditty with a propulsive, Velvet Underground-lite
groove, you might suspect “Foxhole” will be another collection of breezy, buzzy
indie concoctions.
But
next up is “Memories,” a soothing, piano-based five-and-half-minute session of
Floydian analysis conducted inside a Beatlesque armoire. The gently cooed
lyrics urge the listener to “look into the sun / when everything’s become / a
whiter shade of gray,” recalling Aussie rockers Jet and their Fab Four homage,
“Look What You’ve Done.”
“Foxhole”
then slips into a handful of tracks that are somewhat indistinguishable from
one another, though never less than nicely crafted. The songs come and go,
leaving vague impressions rather than concrete imprints. A few are more like
sketches of songs rather than fully-fledged tracks, odd considering that,
according to a band bio, virtually the entire album had to be re-recorded from
scratch after an eight-track tape malfunction rendered the original session
tapes useless. But Hoare and Claps are
out to capture a vibe here and seem determined to see it through.
The
album regains momentum with the slightly brighter “Bridge by a River” and “I
Know You Know,” which demands attention as it veers closer to folk-rock
territory. “The Devils” closes “Foxhole”
in a more grand, baroque manner, with some (title notwithstanding) heavenly
vocal harmonies that might bring a sly grin to Brian Wilson’s face.
James
Hoare seems like a bloke with psychedelic melodies literally oozing from his
pores, which might explain requiring three bands to fully feed his muse. While falling
short of the standout neo-psychedelia produced by Ultimate Painting, the Proper
Ornaments offer likeminded listeners another fertile little patch to plant
their posies. Surely not the kind of thing you’d listen to while sweating on an
elliptical trainer but, let’s say, a welcome alternative to the usual offerings
at your local restorative yoga retreat. Hookah pipe optional.
