Mystical things. Mystical things that are very natural and normal. Light snow on a dark night that's lit up by the fresh layer on the ground. A beach in the rain. A forest at noon on an overcast day, when all the animals are napping. A chilly Montréal street at dawn, church bells in the distance. Things that are beautiful because they are, and wouldn't be beautiful at any other fleeting moment. The sort of mystical image that is never as perfect as in our imagination.
That's what happens when Bell Orchestre picks up their instruments and soothes their listeners with waves of euphoric, symphonic beauty, artistically textured with the greatest diligence. Their songs contain a very organic beauty, a sound which fluidly shifts between between abstract and tangible; between thought-provoking and light-hearted.
Bell Orchestre's eponymous, original, unreleased demo is a lesson in conceptuality, while their glorious release, Recording a Tape the Colour of the Light, is Bell Orchestre celebrating their unique creativity. Four years have passed since the release of Recording a Tape..., a very lonely four years, without a peep from the Canadian collective, as far as new music is concerned. But 2009 is the year for all that is new, and today, Bell Orchestre proudly presents their brand new album, As Seen Through Windows.
I leave the musical analysis to you, as you can catch plenty of new songs from As Seen Through Windows on Bell Orchestre's Myspace. I'm here to pass on the good news of Canadian record labels. That is to say, Bell Orchestre has just recently signed with Arts & Crafts Records (notorious for releasing the likes of Broken Social Scene, The Most Serene Republic, Los Campesinos!, and Stars (among others)), and now join a hefty, and very supportive alumni.
You can pick up As Seen Through Windows straight from Arts & Crafts if you'd like. Or you can hear the latest from Bell Orchestre right now on their Myspace. If you're looking for something a bit more enthralling, then you can wander over to The Torture Garden, where an interview of Richard Reed Perry was featured recently; along with the interview are a couple songs Bell Orchestre recording for Q the Podcast, live versions of "Dark Lights" and "Water/Light/Shifts," both off of As Seen Through Windows. Of course, you can snag Recording a Tape the Colour of the Light, which is assuredly a good investment, along with their unreleased demo, which you can find out more about here. If you're lucky enough to live in the Québec and Ontario provinces, you'll be happy to know that Bell Orchestre will be playing live shows at a venue near you very soon! Finally, you can check out Bell Orchestre's official site, loaded with plenty of goodies, along with a video blog of Bell Orchestre's recent voyage in Europe. Quickly, off with ye, with haste, dear reader!
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