Hannah Peel continues to grow as a solo artist, and ‘Journey To Cassiopeia’ finds her literally reaching for the stars in the company of a brass band. The rich possibilities of electronics and brass have been explored before of course, but it’s rare to find them so well scored as this. ‘Goodbye Earth’ is a sci-fi theme in the waiting, with an unmistakeable feeling of departure capped by the brightness of the brass on top. ‘Sunrise Through The Dusty Nebula’ culminates in a choir of imaginatively scored brass, trumpets especially, Peel exploring the range of the instruments to make some incredibly poignant music. This happens again at the end, with the rousing chorale of ‘The Planet Of Passed Souls’ breaking into a plaintive song, the only instance of an explicit vocal on the album. Elsewhere there are rolling drums and a more mechanical dimension explored, with the synths bubbling and flickering beneath the surface. Peel continues to expand her horizons to sparkling effect, and this journey is opening up a whole new dimension to her already stellar output.
Ben Hogwood
5 out of 5
HANNAH PEEL – MARY CASIO: JOURNEY TO CASSIOPEIA (MY OWN PLEASURE)
