Crystal Sounds

After 2007's sophomore Contact failed to capitalize on the slow-building word-of-mouth success of their debut, The Invitation, Cornwall four-piece Thirteen Senses were presumed to have suffered the same career fate as fellow underperforming melancholic indie rock artists like Kubb, Morning Runner, and Long-View. However, four years on, they now make a belated return with a brand new LP, Crystal Sounds, and a slightly more experimental sound than the Coldplay-imitating output of their two previous releases. The long-winded trickling of the album's material may not instill a huge amount of confidence (several of its tracks were first premiered on their MySpace page way back in 2008, while the whole thing was streamed on their official site in 2010), but with Crystal Sounds written, recorded, and produced in their own studio, and released through their own B-Sirius label, Thirteen Senses seem invigorated by the amount of creative freedom they've been afforded. Three new tracks have been added to the previous online edition, the psychedelic dream pop of the Flaming Lips-esque "In the Crowding," the summery acoustic folk of "Send Myself to Sleep," and the elegant heartfelt "Concept." But it's the original ten tracks that best showcase Will South's impassioned, softly soaring vocals and the band's subtle and natural career progression. Lead single "The Loneliest Star" is a muscular fusion of pounding rhythms, appropriately spacy synths, and prog rock guitars; "Out There" is a glorious attempt at grandiose orchestral pop that sounds like it's wandered in from a Rufus Wainwright album; and the haunting choral chants, syncopated beats, and cinematic strings of the spiky opening track evoke the epic prog rock of Mew. Their trademark chiming guitars, anthemic piano chords, and vague nondescript lyrics are still very much present, particularly on "After the Retreat," as if the band hasn't quite gotten the courage to move fully away from its signature sound. But with Thirteen Senses previously pilloried for their obvious influences, Crystal Sounds is still a noticeably creative step up, and should at the very least muffle the sounds of their critics and perhaps convert a few, too. ~ Jon O'Brien|