Llovespell – That Summer There Was No Honey (Album – Wrotycz Records)
Genre/Influences: Trippop, Experimental, Minimal-Electro.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Llovespell is nearly active for twenty years now and have released a considerable number of productions. Their newest work has been again released on Wrotycz Records and features nine new tracks composed by Stephan Spreer and sung by Mandie K.
Content: Llovespell moves on composing a very personal, serene and artistic work. Driven by minimal electronic treatments, the work also reveals space-like atmospheres and the familiar low, resonating bass lines. Some passages are carried by Trip-Hop inspired rhythms. The vocals are mainly produced a half spoken-like way, but some other parts have been transposed into a kind of fragmented vocal parts accentuating the Experimental approach on some songs.
+ + + : Llovespell remains a band with a very personal sound, which is hard to define, but rather resulting from the offspring between different influences and genres. There’s some reverie hanging over the songs, which is accentuated by space-like atmospheres, and great, crystalline-like bleeps and tones. It has something refreshing and revealing a subtle writing. I still like the deep bass lines, which are less dubby than at previous works, but perfectly matching with the slow cadence and global sphere hanging over the album. Last, but not least I also enjoyed the half spoken like vocals, which sometimes inject a sensual touch to the work. There are several cool songs featured at the album, but “Borrowed Time” definitely appears to be the master cut.
– – – : I regret the album only features 9 songs, but as I’m used to saying, I prefer a shorter, but great work instead of an endless tracklist with less originality and quality.
Conclusion: Llovespell is one of those bands deserving more recognition. This new opus is a brilliant production mixing originality of styles together with great and accomplished songs.
Best songs: “Borrowed Time”, “Stay”, “Child In Red”, “Recipe”.
Rate: (8½).
Artist: www.facebook.com/llovespell
Label: www.wrotycz.com / www.facebook.com/wrotycz.rec
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