The Luck of Eden Hall

REVIEWS.......THE LUCK OF EDEN HALL ... SUBTERRENE ............. I was playing this album recently when my wife walked into the room and asked if this was a new Bevis Frond album, making me realise why I was enjoying it so much, as it displays the same mix of guitar frenzy, introspection and quality songwriting. Not only that but the vocal are certainly reminiscent of the Frond in their style of delivery, whilst analogue synths and a warm drum sound only add to the comparison.Originally formed in the early nineties, the band reformed in 2002 resulting in this album which is brimming with swirling psych magic played and produced by Greg Curvey and Mark Lofgren.After the reverbed and phased psychedelia of BABYMOON, the album lifts off with some dextrous guitar playing that levitates DEVICE high in the clouds, a rippling flute adding shards of light to the tune. A poppier Steve Hillage vibe is created on the title track, the drums well up in the mix as the guitar drives through the song with reckless abandon, held together by huge washes of synths that reverberate across the room.Consistently strong throughout, fans of Tyrnaround, Dukes Of Stratosphear, Reefus Moon, or Bevis Frond will not be disappointed, as the album is a hook-laden psych-pop classic with a wonderfully rich and warm production that tumbles out of the speakers with lysergic glee.On the drifting WHEREVER SENDS a west-coast feel is magically invoked, the instruments dancing around each other like sunlight on crystal, full of blissful thoughts. Finally the band take us home with the floatation tank happiness of GOODNIGHT the perfect way to close this softly spoken trip inside your head. (Simon Lewis/Terrascope Review, April 2007)....................................................... ..Myopic Rec. The Luck Of Eden Hall : Subterrene (US,2007)****(4Stars)This group succeeds for me to find a perfect outbalanced style with a pop/song based core, expressed with rather progressive ideas and instruments. The songs are tastefully developed and sung slowly, to give space to harmonious echoes and combinations between effects, guitars (including a bit of fuzz) and analogue keyboards (including mellotrons), creating always warm well produced effects that, in an inspired emotional way, take part of the development of the compositions. In that way sounds harmoniously develop along the way in each song and composition, so that the general group sound always has a rather progressive development with it. One of the better post-rock sounds with the right taste for sound-based roots known from older prog/psych genres. (Psyche van het Folk, Online review, August 2007)The Luck of Eden Hall: Belladonna Marmelade/Subterrene Walrus Records (WARS002)/Myopic Records (00000-0) The Luck of Eden Hall is a psychedelic pop/rock band from Chicago and they released their Belladonna Marmelade album originally in 1993 and called it a day soon after. After ten years’ hiatus the band is active again and the album was re-released. The band has also recorded some new tracks that are included on the excellent Subterrene CD. The band is formed of Greg Curvey (guitar) and Mark Lofgren (bass). On Belladonna Marmelade they also had a separate drummer. Subterrene also includes some analogue keyboards.After the short intro Belladonna Marmelade starts to rock in a quite heavy way. The track “Darling Dear” has an interesting chorus and some nice soloing in the end. “Mariead” is a Bevis Frond-styled slow number. Another rather slow one is “Madelaine’s Voyage” that has a pinch of grunge in it. The friskier, mid-tempo “Feel to Reel” is a good and nicely rocking track that faintly reminds me of Oasis. The album’s title track is a fast, okay rock piece. “Siren” includes cello too and is a beautiful, although at times heavier track with a great solo. The ending sounds really cool. There’s some superb fuzz on the cheery, a bit hard rock/Jimi Hendrix styled number “Take a Trip”. Especially the fast part works very well! “Lilywhite” is 80’s/90’s hard rock. ”Clock Solitaire” reminds me of Jane’s Addiction being somewhere in between hard rock and grunge. After a moment’s silence there are still some hazy and experimental freaky noises. A pretty good album.The guys have apparently grown and evolved a lot along the years, since Subterrene is light years ahead of their previous album. Now they have also incorporated lots of acoustic guitar and keyboards, and this album has a much richer sound, is more atmospheric and maybe also more psychedelic. “Baby Moon” starts off in a dreamy and soft way and the drums join in later on, as well. This is a pretty, rather psychedelic ballad. “Device” begins with acoustic guitar and vocals and is a rather slow and sad number. There is a great distorted guitar solo in the middle, and then it gets more peaceful again, and then heavier once again. The superb title track is a bit in the 60’s psych pop vein and includes orchestration and a nice solo. Towards the end the track grows into mind-expanding proportions. For the first couple of minutes of the song “The Sabbath Day” they go with just acoustic guitar and vocals, then the drums and bass join in. I guess the flute-like sounds are made with Mellotron. Opening up with some psychedelic noise, “Medicine” is petty pop with some nice keyboards, acoustic guitar and tremolo. A very good number! “Wherever Sends” is a beautiful, soft and acoustic track. The heady, a bit jazzy “Very Large Array” includes piano and string sounds. This rather peaceful, amazing track resembles Porcupine Tree a bit. The album finishes with the beautiful “Goodnight” that has acoustic guitar, string sounds, vocals and drums and fades out softly. This is a marvellous album that can be recommended for all those into atmospheric, psychedelic pop/rock.www.luckofedenhall.com 26.11.07 by Dj Astro...........(Edited from an article by Brian Steele, entitled "Fables Of The Post-Modern Psychedelic Rock ’N’ Fab Experience")Stuffed onto the small stage at the back of Phyllis’ Musical Inn, The Luck of Eden Hall grinds through a Saturday night set. A Fender guitar rings and chimes, a Rickenbacker bass clomps along, a stripped-down drum kit knocks out time. "Strawberry Fields" -era harmonies float in the air. There’s even a cello that pops up every once in a while, adding to the swirling soundscape. It’s loud, it’s smoky. It’s almost like the 60’s, right down to the flowered grill cover on guitarist Greg Curvey’s Marshall cabinet.But it’s the 90’s -- and you can tell by the tight, crisp songs, thoughtfully crafted into a modern, alternative guitar rock setting......It’s just not that easy to put a finger on exactly what The Luck of Eden Hall is.On the surface, the task is not that perplexing: the noise the band makes sounds a lot like rock ’n’ roll -- but not simply rock ’n’ roll. There’s some psychedelia thrown in --but not enough to characterize the group as "revivalist" or "neo-psychedelia". The songs are dreamy, but not distant. And the lyrics weave tales of disaffection and melancholy -- but at the same time offer a faint glint of promise and guarded optimism......Listening to the record is alot like seeing the band live. You might find yourself getting lost in the music, drifting off somewhere, perhaps dreaming, about someplace or someone -- but chances are you won’t quite be able to put your finger on what it is. That’s the world of The Luck of Eden Hall. And it’s not a bad place to get lost. Buy merch from The Luck of Eden Hall at www.zazzle.com/curvehead

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