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If a band's name is to indicate the technical nature of its music then Smoldering Ashes is poorly named.
The songs found on the "Nervous Constellations" debut are not the charred remains of burnt offerings. They are carefully constructed and assemble mosaics of sound.
The collection starts off with "Barker" which has an apt under-current of circus music, like a Doors song but more restrained. Restraint is an important key to the success of this album.
This is a band that holds back, never going too far or over the top. They're like a lover who promises you a kiss then makes you lean in for it... only to shift back slightly to make you lean into them even farther. "Nervous Constellations" is all moist lips and promises.
Instrumentation is varied, yet never pointlessly so. This isn't about showing off virtuoso talent (unless it's Veronica Ashes' sultry voice which is appropriately front-and-center on each composition). Take "Temporary Archives": the use of the bells/chimes on this song is remarkably pulled back, where others would end up in AC/DC or Smashing Pumpkins territory Smoldering Ashes smoothly moves you into another realm by coupling the bells with americana-tinged violin.
But this isn't a retro album. Most of the songs are built on organic elements but they don't sound dated and the band has no fear of working in more electronic elements (as on the splendid "Duct Tape & Superhero Love").
There's a sexy loungey-ness that runs through the pieces that, when couple with the integration of the organic and electronic, evokes memories of the late 80s output from 4AD records yet is still *distinctly contemporary*. This album may be perfect for strolling through the rain with your headphones on, yet it is no stroll down memory lane. "Nervous Constellations" is not repackaged nostalgia. But it does tap into our recollections of love and desire. And into our longing for love and desire yet to come.
If a band's name is to indicate the nature of the music's spirit, then Smoldering Ashes are well named indeed.
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Smoldering Ashes:
http://www.myspace.com/smolderingashesbandsite
Trakwerx:
http://www.trakwerx.com/label.htm
http://www.myspace.com/trakwerx
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