I wasn't aware of Darren Hayman, prior to hearing this album I now follow him on Twitter and am working my way through his back catalogue. I think I heard about him/it from one of the other blogs I follow, although I can't remember which now. I downloaded it originally, without listening to it first, because of the concept, as a Prog Rock fan concept albums hold no fear for me! which is inspired by the outdoor swimming pools dotted around the country.
Again, it's instrumental album but, unlike the other albums I've written about recently, it uses mainly "conventional," largely acoustic, instruments, except for some sound effects and field recordings taken at the actual locations of the Lidos themselves. Some of the Lidos are still in use while others are now closed and all the pieces on the album are named after the individual Lidos.
I suppose the purpose is to try evoke something of the atmosphere of being at the Lido on a sunny day and I think it works. The music is largely mid to slow tempo and I'm tempted to describe it with terms like "charming", "quirky" and "whimsical". My favourite track is Parliament Hill.
No comments:
Post a Comment