THE GLUE ENSEMBLE – We Used To Live Round Here
aaamusic | On 12, Feb 2015
The Glue Ensemble have a charming, poetic and intriguing way of describing themselves: “We are the sound of slipping away before everyone else wakes. We are the feeling of a train journey back to where you grew up. We are the sound of tea-time at a funeral.”
The oddly enchanting Glue Ensemble comprises Zee Ahmad (bass, banjo, vocals and guitar), film maker Ben Blaine (guitar, banjo, vocals and piano), Lyllou Chevalier (viola, violin and vocals) and Carol Lodge (cello, vocals and glass harmonium).
We Used To Live Round Here, released February 9th 2015, is both a disjointed and harmonious album, combining a contemporary acoustic folk sound with classical influences.
The melancholic mood of ‘The More Loving One’ builds quietly to a moving and elegant crescendo, whilst the rough edged ‘My Morning Pages’ becomes a bitter-sweet flamenco. ‘Death Of A Civil Servant’ is breezy, upbeat and enjoyable, contrasting with the frighteningly tense ‘Devil In The Garden’ , with its icy, bleak landscape.
The gentle ‘Soft & Low’ is inspired by snowy weather surrounding a house prone to flooding, whilst ‘London Fields’ becomes a celebration of memories, distant and intimate but still meaningful. ‘We Used To Live Round Here’ tells about being able to begin life afresh, despite sadness and tragedy in the past, and it presents a curious question frequently asked: “Why do good things happen to bad people?” It’s so difficult to find a convincing answer!
There’s something special about these fragile and inseparable musicians. They create magical and spellbinding music from powerful memories. Their compositions are fresh, quirky and imaginative. Often dark, The Glue Ensemble‘s songs have a richness and beauty about them, perhaps a little like the quality chocolate they seem to be so fond of.
