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Gareth S. Brown - Iron Henry CD
Gareth S. Brown has been formerly known as The Unpleasants (whom you may recall from Misplaced Pets) and has also been a long time member of Domino Records recording act Hood. With influences as diverse as Eastern European folk music, funeral marches and jewellery boxes, Iron Henry is a gorgeous work of layered beauty with nods towards Philip Glass, Terry Riley and Michael Nyman as well as latter day travellers such as Max Richter, Yann Tiersen and Aphex Twin.
Songs
- 1st Cabinet: Iron Henry/Keys
- The Turbulent Syrup of Ambition
- Interlude: Whitby Museum
- On Lake Above Thee
- Teeth of Living Coral
- 2nd Cabinet: Frozen Charlottes
- Worms
- Tempest & Prognosticator
- A Nose-Mounted Observatory (of My Other Eye)
- 3rd Cabinet: Igneous Rocks/Moths
- Sea Bishop
- Hand of Glory
Reviews
I'd Rather Be Fat Than Confused
This is the sound of something sinister, the sound of trouble brewing, the falling of leaves as a gunshot clears a tree full of black crows, this is something special.
Gareth S Brown is formerly of the band Hood a band I always felt would’ve been better had they been slightly less productive, forever releasing songs yet rarely reaching the giddy heights of what till this day remains one of my favourite songs, namely (the weight), if you need proof that good things come to those who wait look no further than Iron Henry, an ongoing project mixing some extraordinary ideas and naming amongst its influences "…funeral marches and jewellery boxes" this is the sound you read about when you read reviews of Colleen, a fragile beauty, so secret its kept in a box but when its allowed out it twinkles like the stars. 1st Cabinet: Iron Henry/Keys, Teeth of Living Coral and Tempest Prognosticator stand out, the latter like a mini orchestra as conducted by tin soldiers, the gentle bells contrasting with the slow deep strokes of the cello creating something really quite wonderful and otherworldly. Teeth of Living Coral takes it cue from Amelie, the hustle and bustle of the streets of Paris, speeded up and sprinkled with the magic that makes Paris such a fairytale place. Along with Detectiv Byron you will struggle to find another album quite so unique and beautiful this year, if you love Big Eyes, Fortdax & Adrian Klumpes, you will adore this.
There's nothing like a good first impression, is there? Coming from an independent record label called Misplaced Records [sic] and being recorded by someone who lists jewellery boxes as an influence, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Iron Henry might be odd. Forgiven, because you'd be right.
Gareth S. Brown has perfored and recorded twelve tracks of what could only be described as post-rock i.e. no singing. But whereas some bands make the music and miss the point, Mr. Brown has managed to capture the spirit of post-rock by producing a concept album without a concept or a story.
Beginning with the minimally fitting 'The Turbulent Syrup of Ambition', we embark on a journey that takes us through the nineties ambience and seventies experimentation, through beautiful string orchestrations and the subtle chimes of music boxes. It is very beautiful, very epic and needs to be listened to repeatedly. Soft lighting music.
Superb solo album by Gareth S. Brown of Hood. A mixture of post-electronic, classical and British/East European folk. Highly recommended.
The mood is euphoric melancholy. Untouchable neo classical beauty that expresses itself in many forms. Playful, layered, twinkling lullabies fall into somber electronics… album of the week.
I'd Rather Be Fat Than Confused
…You will struggle to find another album quite so unique and beautiful this year.
Very beautiful, very epic and needs to be listened to repeatedly.