Castles In Space レコード& CD

Review: Mat Handley's shimmeringly beautiful Cotswold Stone was first released in 2019, and this reissue from Castles In Space reminds us of this: this is an album driven by warm analogue sounds, effortlessly conveying a feeling of being somewhere beautiful, out in the country. The project presents a meditation on the passing of time and the persistence of memory, and is in part a reflective work of familial dedication and reverence. The narrative is one that takes the listener on a journey through the rolling hillsides of England. The record is given extra dimensions and texture through the deployment of woodwind instruments at various points, which add a real sense of pastoral energy to the work. Picking out highlights is always a tricky task when a record is so conceptually strong and consistently rewarding. 'In The Marsh' beautifully juxtaposes reverbed and spectral piano with bright synth arpeggios and distant woodblock percussion, whilst its glorious counterpoint, 'On The Heath', is as inquisitive and enigmatic as the first hare of spring. 'The Green Leaves Of Shilden Hall' are verdant and lush, propelled by some lovely flute and clarinet accompaniment adding an ivy-covered gentility to proceedings. 'In The Grove' with its spectral saxophone evokes images of solemn hillside sunsets and spiritual reflections on past lives.