Creatures of an Hour

AlbumOct 11 / 201110 songs, 31m 56s91%
Dream Pop
Popular

Creatures of an Hour, the debut full-length by London’s Still Corners glows with the delicate vocals of singer Tessa Murray and the atmospheric, cinematic influences of songwriter Greg Hughes. A devoted cinephile, Hughes sees film as a major influence in the band, from the projections (created by band member Leon Dufficy) that feature heavily in their live performances, to the free-floating grace of the new album. Recorded at his own studio in Greenwich, Creatures of an Hour fuses whispered intimacy to the emotional expansiveness of composer Ennio Morricone. Hughes has crafted an album of deceptively simple songs that linger like half-remembered dreams. Lead single Cuckoo shines in its simplicity, a single drumbeat, ghostly guitar, and distant organ highlighting Murray’s haunting soprano as she asks, “I’d like to read your mind/can you read mine?” Hughes explains, “It’s about being confused. Am I going crazy? Does this person like me? What’s happening? That’s the vibe of the whole record really.” For now, Hughes is happy to maintain Still Corners’ musical mystery. “I don’t like to talk too much on decoding the songs. It takes the mystery away,” he says. Reviewers like Gorilla vs. Bear, Pitchfork and Drowned in Sound, however, have proven more than happy to sing the praises of Still Corners’ pop beauty. So grab some popcorn and stick around—for Still Corners this is just act one. Our debut album on Sub Pop, released October 2011. Written and performed by Greg Hughes Vocals by Tessa Murray Engineered and produced by Greg Hughes Artwork by Scott Campbell Management: Martin Pike: [email protected] Jason White: [email protected] Bookings: World (exc North America): [email protected] North America: [email protected] Band [email protected]

6.5 / 10

Fashioning the most familiar signifiers of 1960s style in a contemporary frame, dreamy London-based quartet Still Corner's full-length debut is a cohesive statement of the band's nouvelle-vague-nodding retro-cool.

With a sound inspired by the spacy pop of Italian sound, Still Corners make their full-length debut on Creatures of an Hour.

7.0 / 10

"Endless Summer," the track that gave many music listeners their first taste of the U.K.'s Still Corners when it hit the web last year, exhibits a striking contradiction with its title.

8 / 10

Whispery female vocals and understated wafts of filmic indie jangle are the order of the day from these new signings to the ever-impressive Sub Pop label.

9 / 10

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