Chapter - Two (the Biographer)

Here goes for my first album review...

Saïko Records released (Geneva band) Chapter's second album in 2006. Or was it 2007? Anyway one could say August 4th 2008's a bit late to write a review, but then again why not, better late than never. The recording of the third album is planned for the autumn, maybe I'll have better timing there. Anyhow, Chapter's MySpace page mentions they recorded their masterwork in the summer of 2006 (don't think that they are boasting, the term 'masterwork' is from me, and it does not mean that i prefer the 2nd album to the first, i think they're both excellent). The beautifully crafted CD booklet mentions MMVII for the artwork (quaint notation?).

The first thing that struck me with Chapter when I stumbled upon their page perchance on MySpace was the sound. Great sound (sorry for the poor adjectives). Beautiful acoustic guitars and voice. Calm. Like you're sitting in a cottage. Or a field. And you have nothing to do but close your eyes and enjoy.

[open parenthesis]
OK, the pretext for writing this album review is to get a free cd from Saiko records. But for that i would need to write a 'staggering review' (dixit chris)... I think i'll give up writing the staggering review, i don't think i'm up to it, i'll just write it as it comes... It's going to be very personal, so probably not very interesting. To cut a long story short : Chapter is currently one of my favorite bands, I recommend you ((go) buy and) listen to their records (and see them live if you have a chance).
[close parenthesis]

So, superb sound. Intricate guitar lines. Wow. Then the lyrics. Not what you usually hear. I'm not good with words, but here even I can feel the poetry, something like literature sung.

How would you categorize Chapter's music? My second (virtual) encounter with the band was when i saw a poster for an evening at l'Usine with lots of metal bands. Chapter's music was described as 'dark folk'. At first i thought the description didn't fit at all... And that's the first time i wrote a short message to the band. I didn't consider it as 'folk', because my idea of folk music was singers like (early) Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Peter Paul and Mary. I found Chapter's songs much more elaborate (musically speaking). And then i didn't feel the 'dark' side at all, but then maybe that was because when i listen to music I rarely listen with attention to the lyrics at first.

Now that I read the lyrics I guess you can use the adjective. And since the band describes their genre as 'a smooth vein of folkrock', so be it. Anyhow, it's so hard to put most bands in a category, it's just useful when you present a band to someone. But then that's the purpose of an album review.

Extraordinary production and arrangements... Feels like you can hear every instrument very distinctly. Bravo Mr. TVO.

The idea is that every song is a little biography of a fictional characters (except the first). Well, not really. Each title consists of a person's name, dates of birth and often death, and a small description. I'll omit the dates and text in the following list and give some quick impressions on each song.

1. Baron B. M. Craker. Beautiful. Just two guitars (one of them very discreet) and a voice. You can feel the emotion...

2. John Strafford. One of my favorites. I was very surprised when I first heard the song. I did not expect Chapter to play that kind of music. At first I heard a tinge of Sting's voice in the singing. Drums, bass, electric instruments, more than one voice, stark contrast to the opening song.

3. Andrew B. Floyd. Back to more classic Chapter music. OK i guess i say that because it's one of the first songs i heard on the web. Calm. Listening to the lyrics i understand a bit what l'Usine meant by 'dark-folk' : words like 'despair', 'aching', 'disarray'. Pink Floydesque moments at times with the guitars and synth.

4. William H. Connors. [author got lost in the music and lapsed into french] Tempo bien lent, de la disto, j'adore le chant. Surtout quand il est doublé. [end of a.g.l.i.t.m.a.l.i.f.] Oops, sorry, so i was saying slow tempo, basic (but effective, it's not a critic) drums, distortion, great singing. I especially like the second voice. "No i don't want to walk this world alone".

5. Alexander M. Ford. Again with at least two guitars, bass and drums. The rhythm reminds me of the Meat Puppets covers on Nirvana's Unplugged a bit. Again a nice mix between a gently distorted 'lead' guitar and acoustic arpeggioes. And yet again love the two voices.

6. Andrea Ludke. I'd say a waltz (but maybe all 3/4 songs aren't waltzes). Once again i wouldn't say the music is depressing, at all, but if you listen to the lyrics, the words 'hell', 'tear' and 'pain' creep up again.

7. Dan L.J. Goodman. Rock :) Pretty slow tempo, again. Nice voices, good follow-up to songs #4 and 5.

8. Alfred Theodore Vanier : very nice (and long) instrumental. Makes me feel like I'm driving a car, on the highway along the Leman lake, with the sun blazing (ok, maybe in the winter the feeling would be different). Maybe because the first time i listened to it was in my singer's car late after rehearsal. Whatever. The piece develops, adding layers, ending in song.

9. Morecambe Lowe : calm again. A guitar and a voice. Beautiful.

10. Aaron Landvaart : ah some machines... starts a bit like what can be heard in the Interlude on One (Prologue). Then maybe a keyboard? Guitars. Everything comes together with a synth melody ? or could be a bagpipe? (would sound great, live...) Very nice instrumental. Like John Strafford, a bit un-chapter-esque in way.

Wonderful album. 42 minutes 29 seconds. I just listened to it twice while writing this, seems it took 5 minutes...

I recommend :)

nico

ps : i'd like to reprint the lyrics of Baron B.M. Craker without authorization (yet, at least. I'll ask for authorization before giving the link to anybody)

If I could've only
been the only one to
have held on
to you

If I could've only
been the only one to
have held on
to you

But now you're dead and buried
and the sweet memories
belong to
so many

Everyone who knew you
has a different story
we'll never know
the truth

Could we get them together
to get a bigger picture
and know you
a little better

We're all left to carry
in the corner of our eyes
a teardrop
of your life

If I could've only
been the only one to
have held on
to you