Starless & Bible Black

Key tracks:

Say Donny Say
Radio Blues
Popty Ping

Label: Static Caravan

Read Description:

Female voice, guitars and synths meld to make dark folk rock with hooks and melodies.

Moving on from their well-received eponymous debut, Starless & Bible Black have drawn together the sounds of ‘70s West Coast country-rock, ‘80s Mancunian jangle, and space-age psychedelic drones to make this dynamic and warm second album. Gone are the dulcimers and banjos of the first record, replaced by an electrifying wall of Telecaster and Moog, and standing in the centre of this bold, widescreen sound resides the earthy and husky voice of Hélène Gautier- often reminding of fellow dark chanteuses such as Nico and Marianne Faithfull.

Shape Of The Shape is an album of contrasting styles, themes and approaches that coheres beautifully. We get guided through verses and choruses of swamp rock, gothic bluesy chanson and smoky acoustic ballads, as well as a jazz-folk tinged instrumental – after all the band take their name from the classic 1965 Stan Tracey cut. And while this album traverses all these different styles, the band never deny the importance of a fine tune and a fine song.

Key tracks here include the slow, roaming melancholy of ‘Radio Blues’ featuring a bewitching vocal line that pulls you under its spell, ‘Say Donny Say’, a spirited folk rock ditty, and ‘Popty Ping’, an instrumental focusing on the jazz infused interplay between double bass, guitars and percussion.

Releases we represent:

Up With The Orcadian Tide | Single | Static Caravan | 2007
Shape Of The Shape | Album | Static Caravan | 2009

Quotes:

"Starless & Bible Black perform each of their stylistic shifts with an effortless agility, resulting in a collection that captivates primarily through it's graceful, almost nonchalant simplicity." Pitchfork

"Channeling all the sounds of the 70s, from British folk and classical psychedelic rock to smoky, continental balladry." NME