It seems like just the other day Brian Eno came out with Small Craft on a Milk Sea (Support the Independent Ethos, buy the album on Amazon). Well, eight months later, here comes another all-new full length by the art-rock and ambient music pioneer: Drums Between the Bells (Support the Independent Ethos, buy the limited edition on Amazon).
I have already received several emails hyping this release, with preview streams and a free download, but in a third email I received yesterday, the album’s website on Eno’s homepage, revealed one song that struck me as one of the most gorgeous I have heard him produce in years, “Pour It Out”:
Something about the leisurely guitar work reminds me a bit of “Deep Blue Day” from Eno’s Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks (Support the Independent Ethos, buy the CD on Amazon). But what’s more striking is the rhythmic use of the woman reciting the poetry of Rick Holland, who wrote all the “lyrics” for this new album due out on July 5. The delicate delivery of the words, which have their own surreal quality, adds a beautiful layer to the work.
Just this past weekend, I caught a segment of NPR’s “All Songs Considered,” during which host Bob Boilen interviewed Eno, who played DJ. It was a great conversation and featured the above track plus Eno’s story behind it. I would recommend you hear the show for yourself, as Eno talks about the early rock ‘n’ roll music that moved him as a child, as well as his own music, on top of some of the new music he admires (he chooses an amazing song off the highly underrated Portishead Third album [Support the Independent Ethos, buy the LP on Amazon]).
Eno has also made two other tracks available as free streams:
Though more frenetic than “Pour It Out,” both of the above cuts are quality experiments of music melded with poetry and bode well for this new album, which is so far sounding like one of Eno’s strongest in years.
Warp Records will release Drums Between The Bells in a variety of formats:
-A 44-page hardcover book with a double CD (one disc features instrumental versions of the tracks)
-A double LP (with a download for the instrumental version of the album)
-A single CD in a digipak
-A digital download
All have their own unique covers, all designed by Eno himself:
