Glasgow seems to keep giving. Bands move here, and stay, lineups change and evolve; a fertile music scene and hotbed of creative activity effortlessly throws up new acts… some good, some not…

We should all know by now that here at the northernline we tend to simply avoid bands that do not generally captivate, intrigue and delight…

Father Sculptor fit all three of these achievements, describing themselves as ‘Remnants of numerous ingredients sequestered & boiled until tender in Glesga’. Reviewing a previous incarnation for this website a year ago to the day, I noticed ‘a freshness pertained throughout, ragged and shambolic tendencies only helping add urgency to clearly well crafted tunes’…

I am pleased to see this lot develop and progressing – their new moniker ‘Father Sculptor’ has been gracing my stereo at frequent intervals recently… so it seems fitting to take some time out to put some thoughts on here, the day their debut release of two tracks ‘Ember’ and ‘Blue’ are put out and available for free download.

Both tracks commence with atmospheric soundscapes that suggest starting from a blank canvas from which, a musical progression begins… Distinctive vocals convey a sense of melancholia, and melody that is reminiscent of offerings from Manchester’s finest, as if strangely unaware of current musical trends but indebted to personal heros and icons of inspiration… an element of atmospheric dynamics perhaps steers the band away from a  more conventional sound…

Ember creeps elegantly into an intense guitar driven break that hints at an exciting direction that I look forward to hearing more of… whilst Blue takes a crisp beat as a basis for blissful guitar reverb, and melodic riffs…Ok its not treading on new frontiers of music, but it’s a recipe that works and I find the record refreshing for its assurance in not trying to conform necessarily to current fashions.

These tracks are new, and the whole outfit is in its infancy and for that, I like it more.. the single is emblazoned with artwork originating within the band and these songs have a depth and resonance, whilst at the same time sounding fresh and inventive…

Here’s to the father … lets see what he can make for us!

Ember / Blue by Father Sculptor

http://www.fathersculptor.com/
http://fathersculptor.bandcamp.com/
http://cargocollective.com/bucklow

By Tom Manley on April 16, 2012