A while back it was postulated that “Quiet” was apparently “The New Loud”, a short lived movement spear-headed by the likes of Kings of Convenience. In reality the Scandinavian’s only crime was happening upon an ironic title for their debut that the music press decided to tout as a groundswell in all things acoustic and unplugged. Others corralled under the 2001 banner included the likes of Badly Drawn Boy and Turin Brakes: so perhaps the greatest achievement of the “Quiet” movement was in identifying artists with staying power. The old fart in me says that these acts have managed to carve out a career because they write “proper songs with tunes”. For them the song is the thing rather than the ability to look good in tight jeans or to be sufficiently “unhinged” when the tabloid paparazzi circle.
So the same old fart in me should like BRODY AND QUINT, an outfit well equipped with tunes and acoustic arrangements that favour the subdued and restrained. Comprising of Mark on guitar and voice and Rosemary on vocal duties their sound is occasionally fleshed out with plaintive cello. It’s a pretty combination but hardly ground-breaking nor always fulfilling. The net effect of their sound and arrangements has me in mind of earnest music teachers – the man with a beard, cardigan and hush-puppies on his feet and the woman with long straight hair and ankle length gypsy skirt with flat shoes - playing self-compositions at an end of term school revue. I’m waiting in anticipation for a tambourine to suddenly start up.
It’s unfortunate that such an image is instantly evoked on opening track ‘Summer Sun’ as it’s hard to shift for the remaining six tracks. BRODY AND QUINT’s mini LP (or is it an extended EP?) has an air of nostalgic reflection with a tint of regret to tell its stories of love and loss. On tracks like the excellent ‘Silvertown’ and the unusual ‘Roses’ (where on both, tellingly, Rosemary sings solo) there is a satisfyingly mournful air to the music and lyrics that suits the duo’s musical temperament. That said there are times when Rosemary stretches for the higher notes and the bewitching effect is lost, replaced by a nagging concern that at any minute she is going to hit a bum note and the artifice will all collapse.
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I honestly believe that Mark should take a back-seat in the vocals as he lacks any conviction in his voice. He seems to flatline the songs when his voice takes centre stage. It’s not that he sings badly just that his efforts lack any real character or depth and the closing track ‘Spinning Drum’ particularly suffers with Rosemary demoted to back-up. It's a shame as the song has a beautiful melody line. His voice is put to much better use when it's employed as an ebbing undercurrent on the track ‘Green Field’.
Overall a decent stab at folk-pop but BRODY AND QUINT still need to work on their arrangements, mainly in the vocal department, in order to maximise the magical effect they fleetingly and tantalisingly evoke on this release.
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