'This day and age' by Lumen
by Ian Simmons
[ cdreviews ]
Mmm, very classy product this. Lumen are a duo featuring John Willis, from Loop and the Hair and Skin Trading Company, and chanteuse Pinkie Maclure, who has worked with PJ Harvey, Karl Blake and members of Spiritualised. The result is a sparse, vibrant, modern album showcasing the best of both their talents, judiciously funded by The Scottish Arts Council
Willis conjures up energetic, well-judged backing, never too much, but just enough to frame Maclure's marvellous voice. The combination draws on Thirties cabaret, musique concrète, free jazz and modern dance music to produce a unique and incredibly self-assured sound. Maclure has a voice to die for, at times reminiscent of a Nico who could actually sing, and at the other extreme reaching towards the warm expressiveness of June Tabor when she tackles jazz. There is a glorious silky tone to her voice and she has an enviable expressive palette, going from slinky crooning to high-pitched exhortation in a few bars without losing it. There is also a restrained theatricality there too, evoking memories of the delightfully eccentric Agnes Bernelle on her classic 'Father's lying dead on the ironing board'.
The music is clearly created to counterpoint the voice, which it does perfectly, with organic, pulsing sinuosity weaving around the singing without ever clashing or forcing it out of the frame. None the less, Willis is considerably more than an accompanist, the music has an identity of its own, exactly complementing Maclure and giving her the space to reach out and make the magic happen. It maintains just enough experimental edge to lift the album above the functional, but without disrupting the traditional forms Maclure uses for her songs.
This is a lovely, well-thought-out album that showcases the best of its participants and produces a result to treasure. It has been getting a lot of airtime chez Simmons, and is likely to continue to do so for some time.
