current reviews
Caught Laughing : Album, 2006/2007
All Music Guide (US)
Fiel Garvie's new album picks up very nicely from its previous one, exploring a vein of reflective, melancholy, and stately rock & roll equal parts solo Nick Cave, Pulp and Tindersticks, to name just a few inspirations. But Fiel Garvie brings its own skills forward, not least of which is the singing ability of frontwoman Anne Reekie, and Caught Laughing benefits from it all. Reekie's practically a one-woman band given all the instruments she plays, but everyone plays their role deftly, whether it's Emma Corlett's brief keyboard line towards the end of "Estimate" or Greg MacDermott's measured, strong but never overpowering drums with his performance on "Daylight," a particular standout. The secret weapons of the band could arguably be Graham McGeoch on violin and Peter Harvey on cello, whose performances add further to the elegantly sorrowful air of the album in general. But it's the arrangements that make everything greater than the sum of its accomplished parts -- consider how "The Palace Lights" builds slowly but surely up to a dramatic instrumental conclusion, or how the piano and drums carry "All of You" instrumentally, resulting in a wonderfully unsettled arrangement for the guitars to slowly fade in on. "Airsong," at the center of the album, might be the most accomplished number, keyboards and guitar parts swooping through the verses like ghosts, while the wordless backing vocals suggest a slightly haunted take on the dreamy late-'60s pop of acts like the Association or the Free Design. While some might find the album too understated in the end, all one needs is to take the album's pace and sound on its own terms to enjoy it fully.
(Ned Raggett)
Rock DeLux (ES)
De espaldas a las modas, sin rendir cuentas a nadie, Fiel Garvie se han construido una estimable carrera a base de pop soñador y entre tinieblas, mecido por la melancolía, ajado por el insomnio que no cesa. Tras una década en acción, los de Anne Reekie han querido aclarar ambientes, abrir ventanas: en este tercer álbum su dream–pop, aunque tristón y perezoso, se presenta sin las mismas cargas turbulentas de otro tiempo, sin toda la oscuridad, para recordar más que nunca a los Delgados. En cosas como “Special Rate” u “Off And Off Again”, pervive el modelo de canción de cuna en la oscuridad, pero un pequeño hilito de luz ilumina la estancia. Con “The Palace Lights” y su sonido quasi–dance (que parece guardar a Ms. John Soda como referencia) resulta evidente que sus nuevas canciones (sustancia adictiva) prefieren mirar hacia arriba que hacia abajo, centrarse antes en las soluciones que los problemas, pese a su carácter perezoso y eminentemente agridulce. Títulos como “Daylight” o “Airsong” hablan por sí solos. Nuevos aires, nuevos vuelos para un grupo a destapar cuanto antes
(Juan Manuel Freire)
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Vanity Project (UK)
I don’t remember Fiel Garvie being quite this petite in the past. A twee, post-rock ambience remains, but the sweetness in Anne Reekie’s vocals seems all the more breathless, kind of yearning. Evocative might be a word they’re familiar with. Usually, that would be a cold night, breath frozen, that area, but this LP, appears to be more centred on the morning self, the warm and slightly confused morning self. Fiel Garvie never try to do too much and, like Low and Stereolab, they achieve more by trying to cram in less, to let the moments hold. The presence of the keyboard on tracks like the sharp, but hazy, ‘Daylight’ is vital in them achieving this. ‘All Of You’ they build to a scratchy, symphonic show of strength, testing limits but retaining an fundamental exquisiteness.
(Skif)
Times of Malta (Malta)
Can you believe this? Norwich band Fiel Garvie have been around for 10 years and yet their latest album Caught Laughing is as fresh as your newly washed top!
Indiepop is one genre that makes me go on my knees and Fiel Garvie are quite a dab hand at it.
Think of a more glittery Field Mice or a chirpier Low or even a less bleepy Broadcast, and presto, a sensuous mix of catchy songs will snuggle up to you like a long lost lover. Once you hear All of You you'll be converted to Fiel Garviedom forever!
Needless to say that vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Anne Reekie is the one who propels the music with her voice. It creeps, it sneaks up to you and seduces you. This woman can read a telephone directory and make it sound poignant and alluring.
Strong songs and confident melodies throughout, Caught Laughing is a great record through and through. In fact other than the wonky moniker it is impossible to fault Fiel Garvie.
(Robert Pisani)
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Froggy’s Delight (France)
Difficile d'avoir un avis objectif sur ce Caught Laughing de Fiel Garvie.
Après l'écoute de leur single "The Palace Lights", sorti avant l'album, j'attendais avec curiosité la galette, qui prévoyait de grandes choses ! Mais après plusieurs écoutes, je me tâte toujours autant qu'après la première. Pesons le pour et le contre !
Fiel Garvie, quintet issu de Norwich, enchante par sa pop charmante. Un Caught Laughing doux dans la continuité de leur dernier effort Leave me out of it, qui nous plonge dans les airs grâce à la voix planante de Anne Reekie, aux synthés et à la présence discrète mais efficace de la batterie.
Le tout mixé par Geoff Allan, qui a déjà travaillé avec Camera Obscura ou Belle and Sebastian (on retrouve d'ailleurs un petit rien des écossais chez Fiel Garvie). Neuf titres que l'on écoute dans sa bulle, et dont je le reconnais, on a du mal à sortir.
Jusqu'ici, tout va bien. Mais, à l'exception du titre "The Palace Lights", les ballades pop s'enchaînent et tout se ressemble. Cela crée un effet de monotonie et de platitude assez impressionant. On frise même le gnangnan sur certains titres comme "Special Rate" qui sonne plus musique de manège que mélodie pop. On est plus convaincu lorsque le rythme s'accélère ! Un bilan partagé:pour on contre, on ne sait quel camp choisir !
Reste un amer goût de déception tout de même après les 38 minutes de Caught Laughing. Un plat un peu fade, qui manque de sel et surtout d'épices ! Mais le cuisinier a du talent, et un peu de temps est essentiel afin qu'il trouve tous les ingrédients nécessaires d'une recette originale et délicieuse !
(Clément T)
Froggy’s Delight (France)
Heaven knows where Nico’s soul went after she died, but there’s indication that a good portion of her voice traveled to Norwich, England, and inhabited the body of Anne Reekie. This hypothesis is certainly more a product of fantasy than scientific method, especially given that Reekie, lead vocalist of dark dream pop combo Fiel Garvie, has a much better time at staying in pitch than the dearly departed Nico. Still, on Fiel Garvie’s third full-length, Caught Laughing, it’s hard to ignore the likeness, as Reekie wraps her scratchy and seductive alto around existentialist lyrics, rolling her tongue so charmingly into a tickling burr. Touching down on the melancholic side of indie pop, Caught Laughing takes on daydream qualities with organs wafting their audio smoke around chiming glockenspiel, sawing strings, and bright, reverby guitar plucks. The music certainly lends itself well to heavy eyelids; a CliffsNotes reading of Fiel Garvie might place them alongside the Robitussin-induced haze of Mazzy Star (sans the Giant Sand tumbleweeds) with just a twist of Björk’s esoteric creepiness. Caught Laughing is more of a slow burn than 2003’s reluctantly effervescent Leave Me Out of This, and it’s nearly impossible to deny their vamp charms.
(Maurice Spencer Teilmann)
Babysue (US) Top Pick - rating: 5+++
This band's last album (Leave Me Out of This) was one of our TOP PICKS way back in October 2003. At long last, this British quintet releases their third full-length release. Caught Laughing was worth the wait...picking up where the last album left off and adding some additional emotional oomph. The folks in this band play soft progressive pop with slight classical influences. Vocalist Anne Reekie provides spectacularly effective presence to these immaculately arranged tunes. On this album, the band's music sounds something like a odd cross between Komeda, Ivy, and The Cocteau Twins. This is one of those cases where the contributions of each band member seem to be integral to the overall sound. Adam Green (guitar, keyboards), Jude Budgen (bass), Greg MacDermott (drums, backing vocals), and Emma Corlett (keyboards, backing vocals) play and sing together like they've known each other all their lives. Slightly obtuse and yet strangely familiar...Caught Laughing easily ranks as another TOP PICK in the babysue campground. Lovely material...and the packaging is superb. Recommended.
(Steve)
Somewhere Cold (CAN)
Fiel Garvie is one of those distinct, special bands that you can recognize as soon as you hear the opening strains of one of their songs. Case in point: on the first minute of “Special Rate”, all of the elements that make Fiel Garvie such a unique group emerge: the whimsical and intertwining arrangements, the lovely and catchy pop melodies, the longing-filled lyrics that display a hint of bitterness, and the irreplaceable drawling vocals of Anne Reekie. “Special Rate”, with its elaborate mid-tempo pop, serves as an apt introduction and snapshot of Fiel Garvie’s stunning new CD, Caught Laughing. This UK band has wowed listeners for several years with their smart songwriting and penchant for writing memorable melodies that play out effortlessly in the listener’s ears. With Caught Laughing, the quintet slightly tones down their more abrasive rock side and offer instead an often dazzling and intricately understated CD…a 2006 indie answer to Pet Sounds, perhaps, only replace Brian Wilson’s harmonies with the more linear songs and slight sneer that only a British band can offer.
Throughout Caught Laughing, Fiel Garvie swirls around the listener with a cacophony of sounds, like on the gorgeously dense “Estate” for the fast-paced (yet patiently built) “The Palace Lights”. Or, take the haunting “Daylight” as an example: keyboards, various guitar lines, tasteful drumming and layers of vocals cradle Reekie’s desperate whisper of a delivery. On songs like “Daylight”, the band shows a great sensitivity to the emotions conveyed by Reekie’s lyrics, as well as the song itself, and as such “Daylight” is a song of measured restraint. “Airsong”, by contrast, is a more jubilant affair, featuring the kind of delicate melodies that seduced listeners on Leave Me Out Of This, their previous full-length. The whimsical guitar, keyboard and rhythm arrangements make their appearance again, as Reekie transforms herself a gentle and sweet angel whose vocal expressions sail lightly over the music. “Shy Away”, with its forlorn guitar parts and irresistible melody equally captivates the listener. With background vocals that sigh over gently swelling music, “Shy Away” demonstrates Fiel Garvie’s softer approach to music. “All of You” also showcases their more restrained approach to its fullest with its eerie sounds permeating through sparse arrangements and Reekie’s naked voice. “Off and On Again” begins similarly, with silence and scarcity ruling over the song. But, almost imperceptibly, the song builds to a distant release, akin to Sigur Ros’s softer compositions, the end result is majestic, refined, yet heartbroken. “We Wish” ends the CD on a more deliberately grandiose note, as the song gently builds (always with great restraint), relying on a repeating vocal melody to create tension as the song breathes and exhales throughout its duration.
Caught Laughing is one of those CD’s that is a little hard to compare to other releases, because with Reekie’s unique delivery (who does she remind me of? A less hyper Bjork? A more grounded Liz Fraser? Whatever influences she utilizes, she’s utterly gorgeous on this CD), and their Beach Boys-meets-Spiritualized-meets-Sigur Ros-meets-chic sound, the band has carved out their own sound. What does Caught Laughing sound like? It sounds like a more deliberate, expansive, and patient Fiel Garvie recording. For the fortunate fans who’ve heard the band’s past offerings, this description is enough to motivate them to run to the local record shop and pick it up. Highly recommended! (Brent Diaz)
Score: 5/5
iGeneration (FR)
Après Leave Me Out Of This, Les anglais de Fiel Garvie reviennent avec un nouvel album intitulé Caught Laughing. Nous avions laissé le quintet dans les brumes de Norwich, accompagné par les fantômes de My Bloody Valentine et des Cocteaux Twins, le voilà de retour, drapé de sa légendaire discrétion, pour un nouveau disque produit cette fois par Geoff Allen. De la berceuse Special Rate ouvrant l'album au final We Wish, en passant par All Of You et son final enivrant, Fiel Garvie continue son exploration d'une pop intimiste et onirique, loin des projecteurs et pour la joie des habitués. Bienvenue au club. (Yann Desert)
Losing Today (IT/US)
This is the third full-length album from Fiel Garvie, one of England's best kept indie-secrets. By adding a newly refined talent for orchestration into their musical pallette, the group continues to build on the considerable promise of "Take Me Out Of This'" low-key space-rock. The band's most unique element is Anne Reekie's breathy vocals which sound like no other singer I've ever heard. It almost feels as if your speakers are breathing on you when she sings. The closest vocal reference would be Hope Sandoval, who has a similarly sedated voice but that's still a pretty far stretch from what Reekie does. Her lyrics are also much more interesting to read than most singers, which is something that makes this album a compelling listen, rather than just a good listen. My only complaint is that the tempo rarely varies from "three A.M. comedown" speed, but when it does during songs like the first single, "The Palace Lights", and "Shy Away" Fiel Garvie truly becomes something special. Well done.
IndyRock (ES)
Queramos o no, Uk sigue siendo el olimpo del underground. Cuando encerrados en nuestra concha territorial nos olvidamos de que hay otros mundos, llegan creadores que nos sorprenden y lanzan a la cara las evidencias. La música hecha en el Reino Unido, se escribe con mayúsculas. En esta ocasión es una banda de pop, tendente al postrock, Fiel Garvie, que presentará en España, en noviembre, su último trabajo discográfico, "Caught Laughing", editado por Word On Music. Un CD de nueve temas cargados de intimismo y de luminosidad preciosista. Está repleto de atmósferas y pinceladas de paseos vespertinos en días de nubes en los que aparece un rayo de sol. La voz de Anne Reekie es omnipresente en este álbum, con segundas voces a cargo de Greg McDermott y Enma Corlett. Llama poderosamente la atención la intensidad de instrumentaciones. Un violonchelo marca cadencias a guitarras de medios tiempos. La percusión suave e incansable. Violines lejanos, Maravillosamente disonantes a veces, crescendos... Fiel Garvie, han elaborado un trabajo en el que destacan minuciosos arreglos y una perfecta unidad temática. Todo ello con la ayuda en las mezclas de Geoff Allan (Mogwai, Camera Obscura, Malcolm Middleton, Arab Strap). (J. E. Gómez)
The Big Takeover (USA)
Fiel Garvie's primary weapon of seduction lies in the cooly detached singing of Anne Reekie, disarmingly leading the listener on another slightly sinister journey to the darker end of paradise, on this, their third album. The icy vocals are held up with buoyant rhythms and spare,but incredibly melodic guitar and plenty of keyboard action. Most of these songs sound simply structured,but,as repeat spins prove, there's a lot of serious craft underneath the cool apathy..It might be that Fiel Garvie have a knack for making effortlessly beautiful dreampop sound...truly effortless. 'Special Rate','The Palace Lights','Air Song'...So many good tunes here.
Rockerilla (IT)
Since their first album (“Vuka! Vuka! ”) Fiel Garvie have travelled a long way. “Caught Laughing”, their third album seems like the latest installment in a grand plan, with its beautiful melodies and tracks that oscillate between dreampop and indie (perhaps recalling a less electronic Lali Puna).
Part of the credit must go to producer Geoff Allen who has already moulded the sounds of Teenage Fanclub, Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian and Camera Obscura amongst others. Sometimes a velvety voice is, in itself, not enough to win you friends, but in this case, Anne Reekie's bewitching murmurings are inspring and beautiful.
(Stefania Mereu)
Blow Up (IT)
Norwich isn't near Scotland, but listening to Fiel Garvie it could seem like it. Sure, behind the glass there is Glasgow producer Geoff Allen from a city that has given us a lot of great music. The entrancing voice of Anne Reekie characterizes the entire disc which resembles a sort of soft malleable blanket in which all dimensions of humanity are wrapped.
This is a varied album ranging from the almost Irish flavoured singalong of All Of You, and a touch of experimentation with vintage effects in Daylight and Airsong. There's the curiously beguiling Shy Away which is a novel and unsettling take on the classic sixties pop song. Fans of the emotions invoked by Mercury Rev and Cocteau Twins will want this beautiful album. (7/10)
(Enrico Veronese)
Bounce (JP)
Recent years have seen the rise of shoegazer-influenced bands, and the 3rd album by Fiel Garvie is also the case. Listless and ethereal sound with Glassgow flavour. Crystal and unique voice which reminds you of Bjork. This type of music often brings you to negative inner world, but this album is not depressing, or you even feel a positive warmth. This beautiful piece won't be buried in thousands of shoegazer-children works
Gaesteliste (DE)
Fiel Garvie aus Norwich präsentieren uns auf ihrem dritten Longplayer "Caught Laughing" bereits im September herbstliche, betörend schöne Stücke. Wie auf ihrem Kritikerliebling "Leave Me Out Of This", damals noch von Phil Vinall (Pulp, The Auteurs und Elastica) produziert, machen Fiel Garvie auch auf dem neuen Output alles richtig. Sängerin Anne Reekie klingt so wunderbar sphärisch, dass einem sofort die Achtziger in den Sinn kommen. Auch wenn das Quintett von jüngeren Rezensenten immer wieder gerne mit Mazzy Star, Mum oder Lush verglichen wird, so fühlt man sich doch vielmehr an Acts wie die Cocteau Twins oder die famosen Shelleyan Orphan erinnert. Fiel Garvie machen Musik zum Eintauchen, die man schlecht nebenher hören kann, wenn man sich dieser Platte aber öffnet, wird man ihrem Zauber kaum entgehen können. Die Single "The Palace Lights" ist zudem ein klasse Pop-Song, der erstaunlich schnell ins Ohr geht, "Airsong" begeistert mit seiner luftigen Atmosphäre und auch die übrigen Stücke fallen kaum ab. Bis dato ihre schönste Platte.
(Carsten Wilhelm)
Foutraque (FR)
C’est la rentrée et avec elle son lot de marasme ambiant, d’agitation dans tous les sens et son habituelle avalanche de nouveautés plus ou moins bonnes. Pour ne pas se perdre dans cette jungle souvent piégeuse, je ne saurais trop vous conseiller l’écoute du second album du groupe anglais Fiel Garvie.
Parfait pour les dimanches après-midi cotonneux et/ou pluvieux, Caught Laughing s’avère être un petit bijou pop comme on n’en fait plus, dans la grande lignée de ses illustres aînés (Belle and Sebastian pour ne pas les citer). Ce n’est d’ailleurs pas anodin si l’on retrouve Geoff Allan derrière les manettes de cet album, lui qui, quelques années auparavant, officiait pour le groupe écossais. Composé de cinq membres, Fiel Garvie enchaîne ballades cotonneuses et pop songs entêtantes sans jamais tomber dans un sentimentalisme exacerbé. Pour preuve les nombreuses cordes de l'album (violons, violoncelles) ne sont là que pour souligner l'ambiance et les mélodies et non pour servir de trames symphoniques pompeuses. On ne peut que saluer, à cet égard, des titres comme Estimate, Special Rate, admirables de finesse et parfaitement orchestrés. Dans cette lignée, des morceaux comme All Of You et Airsong nous plongent dans d’admirables mélodies parfumées de brumes.
Caught Laughing est donc un album qui s’écoute en prenant le temps, le temps d’apprécier pleinement la voix aérienne d’Anne Reekie et de se laisser bercer par ses magnifique mélodies captivantes.
So-en (JP)
Fiel Garvie were formed in 1996, in Norwich, UK. This album draws you in with its whispering vocals and is attractively lo-fi, dreamy, floaty and has a nostalgic touch. You will feel magical, as if you were dreaming. This is their debut album in Japan, which features a cover of "Blue Thunder" by Galaxie 500.
Kronic (IT)
Fiel Garvie's third album shows that intensity in music can come in many forms - but intensity remains itself whatever form it takes. These are the sort of delicately dreamy sentiments that Mercury Rev and David Roback/Hope Sandoval might recognise. So perhaps I should just compare this album to Mazzy Star but that's not entirely accurate; behind their limpid atmospheres Fiel Garvie are more urgent and more earthly. Some people might call it Dreampop or perhaps shoegaze behind some kind of mask? This is true, but not the whole truth. Bands from these genres rarely give the impression that anything real or universal moves them or have the ability to approach their own music from an oblique angle with such grace. Caught Laughing is dirty purity, treacherous melancholy, it's like a benign virus that thankfully has no vaccine.
(Marco Delsoldato)
El Efecto Orégano (ES)
El tercer larga duración de la banda británica Fiel Garvie es sin duda una buena recompensa para una carrera musical de más de diez años.
Como prometía su efectivamente brillante single “The Palace Lights”, Caught Laughing es una colección de canciones llenas de melancolía, melodías exquisitas y ecos de postrock digerible vía Sigur Ros, Sterolab o The Concretes. Como dato quizás no anecdótico, el disco ha sido mezclado por, ¡atención!, Geoff Allan, ingeniero de sonido que ha trabajado para Camera Obscura, Belle & Sebastian o Teenage Fan Club.
Pop lírico-onírico para enfrentarse a los momentos tontos y perezosos del otoño. Aplausos.
(Juan)
Gaffa (DK)
Det er de små ting, der gør en forskel for Norwich-kvintetten Fiel Garvie. På deres tredje udspil på ti år viser bandet, at ved at underspille og derfra pynte den musikalske skulptur med pynterige vignetter som på Caught Laughing, ja, så kan man vokse sig stor og skille sig ud. En snurrig keyboardflade slår tonen an på Special Rate, hvorefter endnu et keyboard i bedste vuggevise-tempo lægges på, og med guitarist Anne Reekies døsige vokal bliver lytteren bedøvet på sødeste vis. Mikser Geoff Allen (Teenage Fanclub, Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai) har lagt Reekies vokal helt frem i lydbilledet, hvilket klæder de nedtonede sange. Den uimodståelige The Palace Lights er ren Phil Spector med Wall Of Sound i rendyrket indiepåklæding, mens Daylight og den fremragende Airsong med deres nørklende tempo hælder mod Yo La Tengo. Caught Laughing føles som et langt drømmetrip, hvor det søde mødes med det foruroligende, hvilket gerne skulle skabe den fornødne spænding omkring Fiel Garvie. 4/6 (Finn P. Madsen)
A Découvrir Absolument (FR)
Caught Laughing. Littéralement " (sur)pris à rire ". Et effectivement, le visage se fige en une expression de contentement à l'écoute de ce troisième long format de Fiel Garvie. Caught Laughing -prévu pour septembre- déroule un peu plus le fil d'une pop iconoclaste et éthérée déjà tissé sur Leave Me Out Of This, leur précédente réussite évoquée dans le numéro 41. Neuf titres vaporeux et " nouvelle vague " (pour l'état d'esprit moderne). Neuf chansons méditatives qui ne fixent pas leurs pompes mais la ligne d'un horizon brumeux. Le diptyque " Special Rate "-" Estimate " met en musique la torpeur de l'étourdi qui aurait pris un Actifed Nuit, de jour. " The Palace Lights ", prochain single à paraître en juillet, électronise un poil le débat ; un clavier bègue s'y étourdit à suivre des guitares aux motifs concentriques. Valable. Pourtant le véritable moment de grâce advient piste 4 (AD) : plus de six minutes de pop Mister Freeze et aérienne magnifiées par le chant soufflé de petite canaille facétieuse d'Anne Reekie . Viennent ensuite trois morceaux spectraux à la beauté fiévreuse (" All Of You " ) ou faussement sereine (" Off and On Again "). Le disque s'achève avec le " plus hanté tu meurs " " We Wish ", son mélodica et sa batterie languide. Dans une des sections de leur site internet, les Fiel Garvie évoquent une industrie du disque clairement salope qui n'a pas manqué de leur tanner le cuir par le passé. Avec cet album -mixé par Geoff Allan (Arab Strap, Teenage Fanclub…)- les Anglo-Norvégiens ne pouvaient pas mieux solder les comptes établis auprès de ces quelques maisons de disques autrefois grimaçantes mais désormais surprises à rire. Jaune.
(Benjamin Dubois)
Delusions of Adequacy (US)
Fiel Garvie is a band, not a solo performer's name, but the band's sound on Caught Laughing does seem to focus on a single performer: vocalist Anne Reekie. The four other members of the band provide a fine monochromatic backdrop of gentle chamber pop, to be sure, but the arrangements all seem to favor the singing. The lyrical delivery often takes the form of near-conspiratorial whisper, which suits the music even though it might seem a bit contrived in another setting.
The doleful, spare music on Caught Laughing shapes the mood and gives some form to the tracks while the vocals add much of the color. It helps that the band uses strings and chanted backing vocals to emphasize the more dramatic parts of the tunes. The drumming is uniformly soft, the keyboards often bring drawn out and simple melodies to the mix. On "Shy Away," the verses make me think of Low's Long Division album, with that band's pacing and spartan musicianship. The singing, though, elevates the mood even while the lyrics bring you down. The chorus has a nice hook to it, and its backing vocal panting had me picturing something that Kim Deal used to do with the Breeders. The Breeders wouldn't have pulled off a song quite as affecting or lush.
The band always seems to take its time with these near-lullabies, both concerning tempo and composition. There's a hushed and unassuming patience to the music, exemplified in the lead track "Special Rate" and "Off and On Again." The latter again features some moody background vocals to complement the leads. "Off and On Again" has a Tara Jane O'Neil vibe without any of her experimentation. In fact, one could probably point to some similarities between Fiel Garvie and Retsin in their collective restraint.
Every so often the guitars fill out the sound with a trick or two when not simply providing a quietly strummed chord ("Special Rate," "Estimate") or adding a subdued melody ("The Palace Lights"). "All of You"'s guitars seem to have some tremelo and maybe some delay on them, putting them slightly at odds with the march of the song's snare beats. The end of "All of You" comes as close to a crescendo as does anything on Caught Laughing: all instruments and vocals taking it up a notch at the same time. "Daylight" begins with some brief moments of tremelo guitar before going back to clean-sounding occasional chords.
Caught Laughing seems to catch itself brooding and lulling more than it catches itself laughing, but it's all to good effect. Pleasant and unassuming, if for the most part unsurprising as well, Caught Laughing just might charm you after it breaks down your indie-rock defenses.
File under: Bedroom chamber pop
Recommended if you like: Low, Would-Be-Goods
(David Smith)
Erasing Clouds (US)
Caught Laughing is just as spellbinding as Fiel Garvie's last album Leave Me Out of This, or perhaps even more so. The Norwich, England-based group has a truly distinct sound - a floating sort of dream-pop, but more structured than that implies. They're not making clouds, they're crafting songs. Their songs build and release, coalesce around remarkable melodies, and glide in the sophisticated manner of timeless balladry. There's a freshness, a brightness to their style, and at the same time their music is quite emotional, albeit in a somewhat indirect, not overly sentimental way. The lyrics, sung in a beguiling manner by singer Annie Reekie, find unconventional ways to communicate complicated feelings and stories. "It's a real life / it's so special / you had a special rate for me," are the album's opening lines - sweet, yet lines later the picture has become more complex, the 'it's a real life' line becoming more apparant as a mark of the divide between dreams and reality, romantic visions and pain. Dreams on the surface and hurt underneath is perhaps a common denominator among these songs, embodied by unfufilled wishes and dashed hopes, and built up as well by how they musically build a starry-eyed feeling of drifting into melodic pop songs. At the center of the album is the hook that lingers longest, Reekie singing gently "airsong so sad"... sadness and beauty commingle here, in fabulous ways.
(Dave Heaton)
Viva La Popa (FR)
Fiel Garvie est un groupe de Norwich créé en 1996 peu connu en France pourtant "Caught Laughing" est un joli disque de pop anglaise (très marquée 90's). A noter que c'est Geoff Allan qui a produit l'ensemble, il a travaillé avec Camera obscura, Arab strap ou Belle and sebastian.
Une pop à guitares mais qui a la particularité d'être assez lente du début à la fin, jouée mid-tempo pourrait-on dire. C'est dommage car quand ils se lâchent un peu, le résultat est un gros tube nommé "the palace lights", légerement noisy pop et d'excellente facture.
La chanteuse Anne possède une voix charmante avec cette impression qu'elle va se mettre à pleurer.
Un petit côté Delgados peut-être aussi avec des violons et claviers en plus. Une bonne surprise en pop indé.
Quelques titres à écouter sur http://www.myspace.com/fielgarvie mais aussi sur leur site web. (16/20)
(Sylvian Gallais)
Il Tirreno (IT)
La seconda uscita da segnalare è “Caught Laughing”, terza fatica discografica per i britannici Fiel Garvie. La formazione, nata a metà degli anni novanta per iniziativa di Anne Reekie (voce, organo e chitarra) e Adam Green (chitarra e tastiere), è la classica cult-band: trascorsi di un certo prestigio e seguito sparuto ma fedele. Il cd è però prova di grande classe: voce eterea, musica sognante, songwriting brillante. Consigliato ai fans della 4AD, la mitica etichetta dei Cocteau Twins .
(Guido Silotto)
Lunapark6 (US)
Caught Laughing is the third album from the Norwich, England quintet known as Fiel Garvie. From their press sheet; “Mixed by Geof Allen(Camera Obscura, Teenage Fanclub, Belle & Seastian, Mogwai) Caught Laughing continues Fiel Garvie’s reformation of pop music through nine spellbinding new songs. Rather than abandoning the pop form altogether, Fiel Garvie cunningly sidesteps its conventions with a distinctive flair and ambiance that does not cloud the quintet’s fluency in melodies and hooks.” Well said and Caught Laughing is a mighty sweet album steeped in a lush dream pop sound accentuated by the breathy voice of singer Anne Reekie. Her voice will remind you of a cross between Isabel Monteiro from Drugstore meets Cerys Matthews from Catatonia, with the heavy British accent found on vocals by Sarah Nixey of Black Box Recorder. Sweet stuff indeed. “Special Rate” begins the album with an alluring lullaby like ballad featuring keyboards & string arrangements. “Estimate” is a mid tempo tune that has a chorus that packs a sweet wallop, with the heavy British accent of Anne Reekie pushing the song into another plain. “The Palace Lights” begins with an insistent keyboard line that will bring to mind Broadcast, but the song quickly goes into another direction with dream pop like harmonies and sing a long like guitar lines. The song is upbeat, scenic with its sounds and lyrics, and before you know it, you may bop your head along to a song about a seaside suicide (”..and she died, as the tide came up, she saw the light,…as her life went…”). Other highlights would be “Daylight,” “Airsong” the longest song on the album as well as prettiest, and “Shy Away”. The last couple of tracks loses steam a bit and are not of the same quality of the first six tracks, but then again the first 2/3rd of the album sets the bar amazingly high. Definitely recommended, especially for fans of Dream Pop and bands like Drugstore. Rating: 7.5
(Ki Mun)
Aiding and Abetting (US)
Breathy, dreamy Britpop that always manages to keep the ball rolling. These songs rarely get bouncy, but they're always kinetic. Nothing dawdling or dull here.
Not bouncy, but often bright and shiny. The underlying rhythms to the songs are quite playful, and the melodies often shimmer with grace. Simple they may be, but that simplicity translates into something most wonderful.
These is nothing complicated about the arrangements or the production. Fiel Garvie plays things straight up, and that serves the songs quite well. No need to pancake a pretty face, and there's no need to gussy up gorgeous songs with studio bombast. Add just enough adornment to emphasize the strong cheekbones and let the rest go.
I've liked everything I've heard from these folks, and this album doesn't change that. Quite impressive.
(Jon Worley)
Album dal forte impatto emotivo, com’era stato del resto per il debutto Leave Me Out of This uscito per Words on Music nel 2003. Cought Laughing ha il surplus di essere stato pubblicato da un’etichetta di Varese: la Ghost rec. L’eleganza della voce di Anne Reekie ricorda gli adorati Throwing Muses o Mazzy Star. Queste canzoni sembrano ispirarsi a mille notti passate a guardare una candela accesa che si va consumando e quindi muore, così l’autrice di queste composizioni si attacca a quella luce, anche se fioca, e ci legge dentro tutte le sue sensazioni. Un incontro con le proprie inquietudini, le proprie insicurezze che sono racchiuse dentro a questa luce: un orecchio attento che sta ascoltando finché può. La canzone Daylight stabilisce che oggi potrebbe essere un bel giorno per odiarlo e lo fa sussurrandolo e lo ridice in coro. La sofferenza senza le sue brutture, perché esposta dalle dita e dal canto di un animo gentile. Sonagli celestiali sul nero alla fine di Airsong mettono in evidenza la bellezza degli arrangiamenti. Il violino di Graham McGeoch e il violoncello di Pete Harvey, sono presenti soprattutto in All of you. Il momento più alto del disco è raggiunto in Off and On Again, splendida angelica ballata che potrebbe accompagnare tanti sogni tranquilli. Oltre alle meraviglie delle sfumature della voce di Anne Reekie che suona anche la chitarra, Adam Green suona l’altra chitarra, Jude Brugden il basso, Greg MacDermott la batteria e Emma Corlett le tastiere e seconda voce. Basterebbe forse guardare la foto della cantante creaturino all’interno del cd per innamorarsi di queste canzoni.
(Francesca Ognibene)
High Bias Blog (US)
Lovely sounds often waft across the pond from England, and Fiel Garvie blows its kisses with more loveliness than most. Almost to a fault, in fact—on much of Caught Laughing, the British quintet is satisfied to just drift along with the prettiness. But as the LP floats on and the songs become more substantial, the subtle melodic hooks of “Shy Away” and “All of You” reveal themselves, like Salome removing a gossamer veil. Gently insistent, often insubstantial, but nice anyhow.
(Michael Toland)
Sounds XP (UK)
The average music aficionado – or just me – might be excused for not being fully au faux with Fiel Garvie, a Norwich quintet raised from the early ashes of Brit Pop and voluntarily residing on the fringes of indiedom. After all, they have spent more time in the last ten years touring Italy, Spain and Japan than playing the gig circus of Norfolk.
Three acclaimed albums and a few EPs later, I stumble upon ‘Caught Laughing’, the band’s third and latest album.
If there had not been a nicely folded press release, I would have assumed that Concretes-less Victoria Bergman had stepped into new shoes and wig and stopped whistling with fellow Swedes Pete, Bjorn and John to front her new music project.
Anne Reekie – because that’s the real singer’s name – looks like a brunette Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and mixes soothing vocal sweetness à la Sarah Craknell with disorientating Nordic detachment, providing an artfully poised degree of edginess to what would otherwise be just fey, gentle melodies.
‘Special Rate’ with its charming introductory classical piano and strings arrangements is a dreamy lullaby in which Anne Reekie plays both princess and wicked witch. Darker guitar and vocal shades imposingly contrast with the sunny pop keyboard hook in the tale of seaside suicide that is ‘The Palace Lights’. Magical keyboards, hypnotic guitars and the soft refrain of ‘Air song so sad’ introduce the atmospheric realm of ‘Air Song’.
‘Caught Laughing’ follows the wistful pop paths of early Belle and Sebastian and Camera Obscura but with that disarming vocal and lyrical realism that keeps your feet on the ground. Fascinating.
(Elisabetta P)
Hitch (US)
Nice, restrained, slo-mo melodies are what you get with Fiel Garvie’s latest, CAUGHT LAUGHING, and the female vocals match it perfectly. The instrumentation is so precise, so building, you think it’s going to reach a cacophony and just balls-out explode. It never does – and that’s not a criticism, because these songs are consistent, deliberate and soothing, like a salve on a wound, and that wound is your soul, my brother.
Subba Cultcha (UK)
Fiel Garvie are a special band indeed - not the sort to conquer the world on a whisper, but one that a select few will hold close to their hearts forever more, and become another secret love to join the many others that we discovered before. There’s the hushed coolness of Kim Gordon with that childish, slightly wonky vocal delivery that Bjork loves so much, the band are loose and soulful, the ethereal quality recalling early Mercury Rev, with the bare boned attack of Shudder To Think, and the songs, well, they’re just beautiful, aren’t they…?
(Jeremy Chick)
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20 Cent (D)
Fiel Garvie bieten auf ihrem dritten Longplayer "Caught Laughing" herbstliche, betörend schöne Stücke. Sängerin Anne Reekie klingt so wunderbar sphärisch, man denkt an die Cocteau Twins oder die famosen Shelleyan Orphan und läßt sich nur allzugerne einlullen. Genau das war auch immer ein wenig die Kritik an der Band. Die letzte Platte "Leave Me Out Of This", damals noch von Phil Vinall (Pulp, The Auteurs und Elastica) produziert, wurde zwar zum Kritikerliebling, konnte sich aber kommerziell nicht behaupten. Auf "Caught Laughing" machen Fiel Garvie eigentlich alles richtig. Die Stücke haben immer noch diese sanfte, nicht gerade radiokompatible Atmosphäre, die ihnen auch Vergleiche mit Mazzy Star, Mum oder Lush einbringt, dennoch geben sie für ihre Verhältnisse richtig Gas. Die Single "The Palace Lights" beispielsweise ist schlicht ein klasse Pop-Song, der erstaunlich schnell ins Ohr geht, "Airsong" begeistert mit seiner luftigen Atmosphäre und auch die übrigen Stücke fallen kaum ab. Bis dato ihre schönste Platte. (CW)
Gaesteliste (D)
Fiel Garvie aus Norwich präsentieren uns auf ihrem dritten Longplayer "Caught Laughing" bereits im September herbstliche, betörend schöne Stücke. Wie auf ihrem Kritikerliebling "Leave Me Out Of This", damals noch von Phil Vinall (Pulp, The Auteurs und Elastica) produziert, machen Fiel Garvie auch auf dem neuen Output alles richtig. Sängerin Anne Reekie klingt so wunderbar sphärisch, dass einem sofort die Achtziger in den Sinn kommen. Auch wenn das Quintett von jüngeren Rezensenten immer wieder gerne mit Mazzy Star, Mum oder Lush verglichen wird, so fühlt man sich doch vielmehr an Acts wie die Cocteau Twins oder die famosen Shelleyan Orphan erinnert. Fiel Garvie machen Musik zum Eintauchen, die man schlecht nebenher hören kann, wenn man sich dieser Platte aber öffnet, wird man ihrem Zauber kaum entgehen können. Die Single "The Palace Lights" ist zudem ein klasse Pop-Song, der erstaunlich schnell ins Ohr geht, "Airsong" begeistert mit seiner luftigen Atmosphäre und auch die übrigen Stücke fallen kaum ab. Bis dato ihre schönste Platte.
(Carsten Wilhelm)
La Netro (Es)
Por mucho que uno lo intente no puede conocerlo todo. Por eso, de vez en cuando, se lleva sorpresas tan agradables como escuchar el tercer disco de esta banda de Norwich.
Fiel Garvie no es el proyecto de una sola persona, aunque nadie lo diría después de hacer una búsqueda en el imprescindible Google para ver qué opina el resto del mundo sobre el tercer álbum de la banda de Norwich (Inglaterra). Anne Reekie es la cabeza visible del grupo, pero hay cuatro músicos detrás aportando cada uno de ellos un componente especial para que el resultado sea un delicioso álbum de soft-pop, dream-pop con influencias shoegazers o cómo quieras llamarlo.
Caught laughing tiene un toque nostálgico, ese sentimiento de atemporalidad que pocos grupos son capaces de crear a partir de unas influencias comunes (Sigur Rós, Mercury Rev, Björk, Tindersticks, Stereolab...) Es su tercer álbum y el segundo que editan con el sello americano Words on Music, discográfica de Minneápolis que cuenta en su catálogo con bandas como Coastal, Lorna o Magic Bullets). Anne es la sirena melancólica con cuya voz seductora te ahogas en un oscuro pero confortable lago de guitarras y teclados etéreos... Poco a poco, sin darte cuenta, escuchando una voz tan heladora como la de Hope Sandoval o tan adictiva como la de Björk.
Un viaje nada siniestro, sino dulce, al lado oscuro de la belleza, que comienza con Special rate, tres minutos de pop de cámara que anticipan que lo que viene después te va a gustar. Como primer single han elegido The palace lights, una historia sobre un suicidio al lado del mar. Los medios tiempos como Daylight, All of you o Estimate confirman que son una banda sólida. Las canciones resultan a veces algo repetitivas, casi apáticas en su estructura sino fuera por la brillante instrumentación que las acompaña.
Prácticamente continúan la línea de su anterior álbum, un tesoro muy escondido de pequeñas perlas con color indie-pop barnizadas en suaves tonos acústicos por la mano de Geoff Allen, ingeniero de sonido en trabajos de Teenage Fanclub, Mogwai, Belle and Sebastian o Camera Obscura.
(Javier Ruiz)
Indie Pop Rock (FR)
Lumières tamisées et univers 100 % coton, « Caught Laughing » séduit d'emblée l'auditeur, notamment grâce à la voix chaude et amicale de Anne Reekie. On pourrait comparer ce groupe originiare de Norwich, en Angleterre, à du Stereolab ou du Blonde Redhead limité en décibels.
L'album s'ouvre par Special Rate, une berceuse tendre adoucie par une mélodie de synthé hypnotisante et des cordes mielleuses. C'est sur des titres mignons et entêtants que ce quintette se montre le plus adroit, à l'image de Daylight ou de Airsong. Par contre, lorsque le groupe monte d'un demi-cran comme sur The Palace Lights ou Shy Away, on sent qu'Annie a du mal à rester à l'avant-plan. « Caught Laughing » s'éteint en beauté sur We Wish, un peu comme il avait commencé, entre rêves et délicatesse.
Words On Music ne nous aura une fois de plus pas déçu avec ce disque de Fiel Garvie qui suit merveilleusement la philosophie tout en apesanteur du label américain. Une découverte sans prétention et attendrissante qui fait plaisir.(Florian)
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Viva La Popa (FR)
Fiel Garvie est un groupe de Norwich créé en 1996 peu connu en France pourtant "Caught Laughing" est un joli disque de pop anglaise (très marquée 90's). A noter que c'est Geoff Allan qui a produit l'ensemble, il a travaillé avec Camera obscura, Arab strap ou Belle and sebastian.
Une pop à guitares mais qui a la particularité d'être assez lente du début à la fin, jouée mid-tempo pourrait-on dire. C'est dommage car quand ils se lâchent un peu, le résultat est un gros tube nommé "the palace lights", légerement noisy pop et d'excellente facture.
La chanteuse Anne possède une voix charmante avec cette impression qu'elle va se mettre à pleurer.
Un petit côté Delgados peut-être aussi avec des violons et claviers en plus. Une bonne surprise en pop indé.
(Sylvain Gallais)
Avant Folk (ES)
Con una extensa carrera a sus espaldas (este año se cumple una década de su formación) que incluye ya tres largos (antes estuvieron '¡Vuka Vuka!' en el 2001 y 'Leave me out of this' dos años después), además de una importante cantidad de singles y ep's, es más que notorio que este quinteto de Norwich con mayoría femenina domina a la perfección su arte.
Lo que a grandes rasgos nos proponen Fiel Garvie en sus nueve cortes es un muro de sonido a lo Phil Spector, con caramelo pop y alma, pero atravesado por rachas de tormenta rugosa. El indie-pop más melodioso pone el primer ingrediente y una comunión de post-rock, noise-pop y shoegaze el segundo.
Llevadas en todo momento por la dulce voz de Anne Reekie, las canciones de 'Caught Laughing' buscan en los compases iniciales la complicidad del oyente: el trío 'Special rate', 'Estimate' y 'The Palace lights' capturan la magia adictiva de Veruca Salt, Lush, The Delgados y The Breeders (luego llegará 'Shy away', directa a 'Last Splash'). Temas redondos, certeros y muy bien arreglados. Tras hipnotizarnos con el dream-pop (ese teclado) de 'Daylight', elevarnos varios metros del suelo ('Airsong') y construir crescendos de tensión ('All of you') en una segunda parte más meditativa, aún tienen tiempo para entregar un temazo como 'We wish', auténtica catarsis vocal y enésima demostración de su capacidad para unir tristeza y belleza. (8.25/10)
(Mikel M. Sanz)
Muzikalia (ES)
Esta formación inglesa que lleva luchando desde 1996, lanza su tercer álbum de estudio, con la intención de reformar el concepto de pop, con el que ya se dieron a conocer, dándole una ambientación general algo distinta a lo habitual, pero sin perder las melodías atractivas que tanto les avalan.
Mezclado por Geoff Allen (trabajó para Belle and Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub o Mogwai), Caught Laughing da la sensación de altura sin que si quiera, se escuche un solo tema. En este caso, vale la pena hacer el esfuerzo, ya que solo con escuchar "Special Rate", el encantamiento sonoro que te produce gracias a la voz casi susurrada de Anne Reekie, junto a los arreglos de cuerda, te hacen flotar. "The Palace Lights" el primer single del álbum, insiste con una figura melódica de teclado diseñada para introducirse en tu mente y rondar un buen rato por ahí. Otros temas como "Estimate" o "Daylight" , se mueven entorno al mundo de la gran Elizabeth Fraser, mientras que "Air Song" nos puede recordar más a Stereolab...
En definitiva Fiel Garvie consigue con este nuevo trabajo, un efecto casi halucinógeno, producido básicamente por sus melodiosos teclados , y los efectos de amplitud e insistencia de guitarra y bajo. Dreampop que explora en la melancolía y la eleva con el rock, a niveles que solo Mercury Rev o Cocteau Twins saben conseguir, y a los que se acercan, pero en ningún caso superan.
(Dominik)
Zero (SWE)
Fiel Garvie har hängt med ett tag i musikbranschen nu, tio år närmare bestämt. Vad har då hänt sedan starten 1996 och debutsingeln ”Glass faced warrior”? Ja, inte särskilt mycket faktiskt, och jag tror det är precis så som bandet vill ha det. På nya ”Caught Laughing” fortsätter de sprida sin mjuka och drömska pop precis som om tiden stått stilla hemma i lilla Norwich, England, där kvintetten fortfarande bor. Tidigare har jag haft svårt att ta till mig bandets musik, den har känts lite för anonym och lite för tråkig, men med nya skivan i spelaren (och ett flertal lyssningar) måste jag tänka om. Kanske beror det på att producenten Geoff Allen (Camera Obscura, Teenage Fanclub, Belle & Sebastian) har ett finger med i spelet, eller så har bandet bara blivit bättre. För det finns många höjdpunkter på skivan, testa t.ex ”Airsong” eller filmiska ”All Of You” och jag lovar; Fiel Garvie slår både Björk, Low och svenska Concretes på fingrarna. Det enda som kan vara påfrestande i längden är Anne Reekie´s väldigt säregna sång, men då får du pausa och fortsätta efter en stund. För i små, små ögonblick kan den vara fantastisk. 7/10 (Anders Christensson)
Smashing Mag (JP)
"You amaze me... You amaze me... You amaze me." Merely one snippet from Cocteau Twins' solidly savoury 'Four Calendar Cafe that slips and slides and slinks about effortlessly, cleanly and quickly hypnotizing. Likewise, Fiel Garvie's third release, 'Caught Stealing' duly does so, intimately embracing as it ushers you into your own Neverland to fondly remember whether awake or in a slumber.
Coalescing the ingredients of founders Anne Reekie (vocals, keys), Adam Green (guitar), Jude Budgen (bass) and Greg MacDermott (drums, vocals) whilst adding Emma Corlett (keys, vocals) years later, the UK's Fiel Garvie deliver 51 plus minutes of nourishing serendipitous sojourns. "Special Rate" opens this cafe of self-awareness like the wonderful aroma of brewing coffee as you shower on a cold winter morning, gliding into the layered, slow march sip of "Estimate," both awash Anne's advising whisperings. "Palace Lights" pumps about in keys as Adam loops his pickings amidst additional keys peppering into a crescendo while "Daylight" releases you with your eyes open upon your daily uncertainties to unfurl. In a pleasant, dreamy chanting way that resonates, "Airsong" reassures, complete with a midsection that takes you back deeply into your subconscious.
Rising out of bed, "Shy Away" questions, but gives strength in objectivity, begging you to listen to your inner voice of reason. Building in an understated momentum, "All Of You" steadily paces ahead in self-determination, gaining strength to its breathing finish while bass and keys run together in the often maddening dualities of life in "Off And On Again." "A Man's Tale" is an absolute relish as it rumbles in a layered consistency anchored in bass, opening wide in the chorus that reverberates beyond. With strings unfurling, "Blue Thunder" has you searching into its questioning feedback that releases you into a field of chorus. Closer "Seems So Low" pours you a sum of all the parts and the discoveries found as this tick-tock soaring and gliding conglomeration brings you to the end to arise with a restful smile. Indeed, Peter was right: You can fly and indubitably in this steal. (Michael Lara)
Pinkushion (FR)
Dix ans après ses débuts, Fiel Garvie semble avoir atteint une sérénité accomplie. Cela se ressent sur le troisième opus du quintet, originaire du comté de Norfolk, de plus en plus terrien et éblouissant. Etrangement, le choix du premier single “The Palace Lights”, une parenthèse électro-pop, est un peu hors sujet. Car la dream pop brumeuse et Lushienne de Leave Me Out Of This (2004) se parsème dorénavant d’éclaircies et d’instruments nobles. Geoff Allan - un pilier des nineties, dont le nom figure sur les crédits de la plupart des formations de Glasgow (Belle & Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub, Mogwai...) - y est certainement pour quelque chose dans ce changement de ton. Le producteur a réquisitionné avec lui une section de cordes et procure une élégance baroque aux ballades du groupe (“Special Rate”, “Intimate”). Caught Laughing donne le sentiment d’avoir été enregistré dans une petite paroisse à l’abandon, propice à la reverb naturelle (“All Of you”, très épris de Sigur Ros). Humecté du sacré, Fiel Garvie n’a pas pour autant perdu son sens ingénu de la mélodie aérienne et mélancolique, notamment sur le bien nommé “Airsong”. Mine de rien, les harmonies du duo vocal, Anne Reekie et Emma Corlett, parviennent régulièrement à décrocher une mélodie supérieure. A écouter en priorité, le grandiose “Shy Away”, qui a le don de retenir le temps en suspension. (Paul Ramone)
Tonspion (D)
Fiel Garvie bieten auf ihrem dritten Longplayer "Caught Laughing" herbstliche, betörend schöne Stücke. Sängerin Anne Reekie klingt so wunderbar sphärisch, man denkt an die Cocteau Twins oder die famosen Shelleyan Orphan und läßt sich nur allzugerne einlullen. Genau das war auch immer ein wenig die Kritik an der Band. Die letzte Platte "Leave Me Out Of This", damals noch von Phil Vinall (Pulp, The Auteurs und Elastica) produziert, wurde zwar zum Kritikerliebling, konnte sich aber kommerziell nicht behaupten.
Auf "Caught Laughing" machen Fiel Garvie eigentlich alles richtig. Die Stücke haben immer noch diese sanfte, nicht gerade radiokompatible Atmosphäre, die ihnen auch Vergleiche mit Mazzy Star, Mum oder Lush einbringt, dennoch geben sie für ihre Verhältnisse richtig Gas. Die Single "The Palace Lights" beispielsweise ist schlicht ein klasse Pop-Song, der erstaunlich schnell ins Ohr geht, "Airsong" begeistert mit seiner luftigen Atmosphäre und auch die übrigen Stücke fallen kaum ab. Bis dato ihre schönste Platte. (CW)
Power of Pop (Singapore)
I just love it when bands screw around with my pre-conceptions. Last time out Fiel Garvie were an earnest shoe-gazer revival band. Not any more. Basically, Fiel Garvie has morphed into a very useful indie rock band. So out with the atmospheric guitar pedals (well, almost as “Airsong” will attest) and welcome the violins and cellos. Jagged but nice. (Kevin Matthews)
Mic (GR)
Συνεχίζοντας την προσπάθειά τους να καλύψουν το κενό που άφησαν πίσω τους οι Lush, οι Fiel Garvie κυκλοφόρησαν πρόσφατα το νέο τους album "Caught Laughing" (Words On Music) - μια συλλογή 9 ατμοσφαιρικών pop κομματιών με διάχυτη θηλυκότητα και αισθαντικά παστέλ χρώματα. Εδώ οι Fiel Garvie μοιάζουν να ρίχνουν το βάρος στο συνθετικό τομέα, βάζουν τα φωνητικά στην πρώτη γραμμή και κινούνται σε καθαρότερες μελωδικές φόρμες, αποφεύγοντας τα reverbs και τα στουντιακά κόλπα που υπήρχαν διάσπαρτα στις προηγούμενες ηχογραφήσεις τους. Οι Fiel Garvie είναι σταθερά συμπαθείς αλλά και υπέρ του δέοντος στατικοί, έτσι όπως είναι προσκολλημένοι σε έναν συγκεκριμένο ήχο δίχως να προσπαθούν να τον αναπτύξουν ουσιαστικά. Το "Caught Laughing" ακούγεται ευχάριστα, αλλά απέχει πάρα πολύ από το να συναρπάσει. Όσοι ενδιαφέρονται για τον κιθαριστικό indie/dream pop ήχο με γυναικεία φωνητικά έχουν σαφώς πολύ καλύτερες επιλογές από τους Fiel Garvie, όπως, για να αναφέρουμε ενδεικτικά μερικές, τα δύο πρώτα albums των The Heart Throbs, το ντεμπούτο των Belly ή - για πιο χάσιμο καταστάσεις - τα περισσότερα από τα νούμερα του καταλόγου της αμερικάνικης ετικέτας Clairecords.
Una Piel de Astracán (ES)
He llegado a este disco de rebote;primero leí que suspendían su gira por nuestro pais,luego una buena reseña,así que me lancé y pronto sucumbí a los encantos de una voz que recuerda a Emma Pollock (delgados) y de unas canciones perezosas,que entran de puntillas en tu corazon y se clavan sin que apenas te des cuenta formando una segunda piel. Gustan de las penumbras y los parajes entre tinieblas,y eso,en mi actual momento,es motivo de celebración para mí. Muy bonito. (arcfire)
The Palace Lights: Single 2006
Efecto Oregano (ES)
Desde Norwich regresan Fiel Garvie con “The Palace Lights”, canción de adelanto de su próximo disco “Caught Laughing”, y que sin duda es la canción más atrapadora que esta veterana banda británica ha escrito a lo largo de sus diez años de carrera musical. Un teclado insistente y una dulce melodía han creado una maravilla de pop noctámbulo que superan a los aciertos ya planteados en su anterior “Leave me out of this”.
El single lo puedes descargar en los principales establecimientos de música digital de la red: I-tunes, Terra, Carrefour, etc. Claro que por este sistema te pierdes la preciosa portada del single, lejos queda aquella incomprensible imagen de su primer disco “Vuka Vuka”, donde aparece una deliciosa fotografia nocturna de nuestro soñado Brighton.
Blog Up (FR)
Blog Up vient de tomber sur le single de Fiel Garvie qui annonce l'arriv ée prochaine du nouvel album (à paraître en septembre) du groupe de Norwich. Fiel Garvie est un groupe qui sait prendre son temps et c'est plutôt bien quand on écoute The Palace Lights on sent bien que rien n'a été laissé au hasard. En 10 ans, ils ont publié deux albums, un Ep et quelques singles.
Le nouvel album, s'il est comme le single, il y a tout à croire qu'il va nous accompagner longtemps. The Palace Lights est tout simplement parfait. La mélodie tourne en boucle, elle a quelque chose de joyeux presque enfantine. Pourtant le texte de The Palace Lights raconte une histoire de suicide au bord de la mer. La rythmique entêtante fait coprs avec la très belle voix tout en retenue et presque lointaine d'Annie Reekie.
Blog Up est totalement sous le charme de ce single.
Reviews of Caught Laughing
Subba Cultcha (UK)
20 Cent (D)
single - the palace lights