North Sea Radio Orchestra -‘I A Moon’ (Household Mark)
Those pesky genres and categories, eh?
Every so often, along comes an act – in this case North Sea Radio Orchestra – who manage to defy what people’s expectations are, and leave them scratching their heads. In the best possible way. If trying to pinpoint what sort of an act NSRO are, I might pinpoint the place where folk meets classical, and where independent music (as in: thinking outside the box and not as in:shorthand for guitar based rock).
If this makes it sound like this album has more in common with the pastoral sounds of Vaighan Williams and Benjamin Britten than your usual chart fodder indie…that’s because it most definitely does. In a way that is accessible, and very, very listenable, without ever ending up as MOR. Pastoral is the word you are looking for.
One of the most unisual and original albums you are likely to hear this year. Do take the trouble to do so.
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I A Moon is out now on Household Mark.