Daedelus – The Light Brigade – (Brainfeeder)

It’s almost indecent, the speed with which Daedelus produces albums. But this one is rather different, and in terms of length at least is more like an extended EP. It also finds Daedelus – real name Alfred Darlington – taking time out for thought and contemplation, which makes sense as some of his very best music in the past has been slower. Initially ‘The Light Brigade’ was to mark the Crimean War of the 1850s, but since it was recorded an all too recent conflict has broken out in that area, so there is an extra air of poignancy to the music here. ‘Onward’, especially, is one of the most moving things Daedelus has written, with a distant layered vocal from Young Dad over very slow moving chords, while a similar air of intimacy hangs over the other vocal tracks. ‘Until Artillery’ swirls around in search of somewhere to rest, but the final ‘Country Of Conquest’ is a piece for strings expressing real pain and torment. While some of these tracks are fragmented, this is an unexpected turn of events in the Daedelus discography, but proves a thoroughly absorbing listen.

4 out of 5

Reviewed by Ben Hogwood

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