"Genre-spanning" or "genre-melding" are useful terms to fall back on when one can't easily pigeonhole something, but in the case of
Snowpoet's eponymous
debut it feels inadequate to write off the work here as spanning the genres, or, god forbid, resort to sweeping it under the far-reaching carpet-term of fusion. There are many styles and influences throughout these compositions that come from across the board. Given the band's shared background at the Royal Academy of Music, it would be tempting to call it jazz and be done with it, but to do so would not only be lazy, but also inaccurate.
If there is a uniting factor that ties the songs together, it could be nature. Field recordings of babbling water, the hiss of a gentle breeze in the trees, rain, even something that sounds like birdsong -- albeit synthesized -- adorn the backdrop of the songs, which, coupled with vocalist Lauren Kinsella's spoken words and open-ended melodies, give the album the feeling of the expanse of the great outdoors. No coincidence, perhaps, that it was recorded in the relative isolation of a remote studio in Wales. The space afforded to the songs is especially effective in the instrumental track "Gathering," a lingering set of phrases doubled on acoustic guitar and Wurlitzer, broken up by mechanical interruptions, set to the serene sound of the water and the wind.
The frequent use of acoustic guitar gives the impression of folk, but it goes much deeper than that. The intriguing chord changes and melodies, unafraid of challenging the listener at times, reveal the jazz foundations of the band's core songwriter, Chris Hyson. As a result, the songs are reminiscent of
Ólöf Arnalds or even
Joni Mitchell, as are Kinsella's unconventional phrasing and probing lyrics. Perhaps the biggest and most noticeable influence, however, is
Björk. The blended electronic and acoustic drums on "Mermaid" and "In a Quiet Space" -- credit must be given to drummer Dave Hamblett's excellent playing, both technically and creatively -- along with the deep bass synth, instantly bring the Icelander to mind, particularly her
Vespertine album.
"If I Miss a Star" perhaps best demonstrates Kinsella's immense control and skill as a vocalist. Brutally exposed with only a dampened upright piano for company, her voice doesn't hide behind washy reverb, nor is it sanitized by a gate, and the resulting honesty is something few vocalists could achieve. Contrasted with the closing track, "Eviternity," it becomes clear just how far this album takes the listener. Emotive, probing poetry, whispered by Kinsella, alongside furious breakbeats shouldn't work, but somehow the track fits together coherently -- as does the album as a whole. It's conclusive proof that
Snowpoet are many genres while at the same time being none in particular, and the resulting individuality is testament to the fact that music doesn't always have to be one thing or another, and can simply exist as an artistic statement without needing to resort to labels or tags. For the sake of diversity at least, that can only be a good thing. ~ Simon Spreyer