Seafieldroad -‘There are No Maps for This Part Of The City’ (Biphonic)
Seafieldroad is the project of Andrew Eaton, lead singer with Scotland’s Swimmer One. Having released two albums with them, he has unleashed his debut solo record, and it is unquestionably the best thing he has ever done.
Different from the electro-stylings of Swimmer One (which is not to detract their work over the last decade), I perhaps shouldn’t start off by comparing it to other albums, but when you see the ones I do, you will understand:
Brian Eno’s Music For Airports. The Blue Nile’s Hats. Virginia Astley’s From Gardens Where We Feel Secure. Yes. That good, that special. In a word: pastoral. Working with orchestral scoring from Pete Harvey (Meursault, the Leg), this album is sublime from the opening and wonderfully titled ‘Brian Wilson Karaoke’ to the closing ‘Fucking Manchester’ (which, despite its’ title, is still heartbreaking).
Released at the end of November, I’m hoping that, nonetheless, this will appear on the year’s end best of lists, because it really deserves to be there.
****1/2
There Are No Maps For This Part Of The City is out now on Biphonic.