Charivari - Descent

Worst Bassist Records (WBR LP 001 / WBR CD 001)

Worst Bassist Records is a " Motorik-Post-Rock-Space-Punk-Drone-Love-Acid Underground Label" by Electric Moon's lovely bass player Komet Lulu. The name of the label comes from a nasty YouTube comment on Lulu's bass playing skills... It's great that something great can grow from bad manners and rudeness! The first release on the label (WBR LP 000 / CD 000) was an Electric Moon reissue but more on that later. I don't know how Lulu found out about the dreamy post/indie/psych/noise rock shoegazers Charivari from Bath UK, since this album is their first. I'm still happy she did, since I like this band.

The 49-minute CD version has seven songs, the LP one less. "When Leviathan Dreams" starts off slowly and peacefully and then we are in a hazy, reverberating, dreamy shoegazer heaven. It brings back some 90s indie Brit rock/pop memories in a positive way. Great! "Lotus Eater" is a bit more intense and heavier, a very effective track sounding a bit like Reflecter era Sun Dial. Wow! Next we get the faster, sort of post-punky "Aphotic". "Down by the River" is a slow, pretty ballad, and "Descent" an ambient, experimental instrumental. "Alexandria" is an emotional song that even brings to mind The Cure. The album is finished with the 11-minute "Scavengers of the Wind" that changes from atmospheric floating to heavy, noisy fuzz rocking. Pretty intense stuff but still enjoyable and not totally out of control. In summary, Descent is a very promising debut album and I bet Charivari will appeal to a lot of people into various genres. The album will come out at the end of the month and can be preordered from the label's web site.

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