Drums Between The Bells

A usual thing for the unusual musician

There can be no need for delight or surprise when the British music veteran (not an OLD timer!) Brian Eno releases another studio long player. On the contrary, should he fall in silence, take a break, or announce an end of his career, we could open our mouths, rub the backs of our heads, or hold up our hands in confusion. Because Brian’s new albums are taken for granted and seen as something usual for him. It is so usual that we even forget the man’s age, and he is well over sixty now, and the music he produces should have been out of fashion long ago. For Brian Eno does not write stuff for heavy airplay, nor does he write for blockbusters or crazy and crowded festivals. In fact, he pens the material that is doomed to please only few. His songs are short of everything that characterizes what we call hit music. You can’t even sing along to this. Nevertheless, having started his music life forty years ago, the British maestro keeps it on persistently; and he cannot stop because his numerous followers and admirers would not let him.

The poet speaks and the musician plays

Released in 2011, Brian Eno’s new album received the Drums Between The Bells title and an artwork that looks very similar to many of his older records. A futuristic piece of a big city’s skyline brings about sweet assumptions that Brian Eno has not offered anything different than he has done before. Twisting electronics, moderate beats and overwhelming ambient presence, Eno’s basic stylistic attributes, landed onto Drums Between The Bells as they have always been. However, apart from them, the record also is rich in words, which is not what Eno is well known for. Words and singing were entrusted to poet Rick Holland. He was not forced to apply any outstanding vocal skills as he was only to speak the lines he had written with Eno deciding how this would sound. The lyrics turned the songs into separate messages, extremely short, yet profound. The album’s tracks are really brief, which, again, does not associate with the musician’s overall catalogue. Despite the enormous number of the songs, over thirty, all of them are pieces to one conceptual whole taking more than one listen to comprehend. Perception of the words is made a hard task, especially in places where Rick’s voice is processed heavily, like in Bless The Space with him sounding like a ghost, or in Glitch, where he reminds of a robot.

Not a bit worse than classic records

Sure, a hundred minutes of electronica would bring moments of pleasure to only a small part of the audience; and even those who would claim they are firm fans of the genre may feel tired or exhausted as the album draws near to the end, particularly if they want to get the words too. Apparently, the strongest impression is produced by the songs gathered in the opening part of Drums Between The Bells. Such tracks as Dreambirds, or As If Your Eyes Were Partly Closed, would be welcome among Eno’s best works for their mighty hypnotizing and relaxing effect. There is no doubt that Brian’s new album is executed in full compliance with the highest standards set by his own records many years ago. Still, there is a sensation that Brian adjusts to his partner Holland, that the words build some confines to his music. To some extent, Brian’s contribution would look like constructing a stage for the poet to perform. It an individual decision whether one must get into the lyrics or not. After all, the words may pass you by without being noticed, but the music by Eno you can’t but listen to. And it is clear that Drums Between The Bells is a record that you can not put aside once you listened to it. You either say no it immediately, or stay with the album for quite a while.