This album is every bit as slow moving as its title suggests – but that is most definitely a good thing. Bell Gardens – Kenneth Gibson and Brian McBride – make music that is completely against the pace of modern life, and if you listen to it when on the move it has the curious effect of completely calming the brain. This is partly because the songs are really well written, so even when the tempo drags there is a lyrical couplet or instrumental touch to enjoy. The subtly majestic ‘Darker Side Of Sunshine’ and the soaring closing track ‘Why Me Lord’ (digital only) are a treat, while ‘Sail’ works in one of the slowest twelve-bar blues chord sequences you could imagine – without it becoming a drag. The textures are rich and the vocals incredibly soothing, adding up to an ideal recipe for blissful small hours listening.
5 out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
{http://soundcloud.com/rocketgirl/sets/bell-gardens}
