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Editorial Review:
There's no doubting the ambitions of Through The Window Pane. Its makers, London's Guillemots might be able to trace their roots back to the indie underground – like so many, frontman Fyfe Dangerfield got his musical break when his former band recorded a John Peel session – but this is a debut that owes nothing to angry abrasiveness or wilfully leftfield tactics. Diverse, subtle, and commendably understated – see the opening "Little Bear", five minutes of near silence interrupted only by gentle strings, lounge piano, and Dangerfield’s soft, operatic vocal – this is an album seemingly diametrically opposed to the voguish all-mouth, no-trousers school of modern indie. "Made-Up Love Song 43" combines tearful, emo-tinged balladry with sped-up vinyl wobble, heavenly vocal choirs, and distant accordion, while the spacey "A Samba In The Snowy Rain" confirms Guillemots luxuriate with the sort of progressive rock nous that should see their name mentioned next to the likes of Sigur Rós or Mew. It's not all bombastic – "Blue Would Still Be Blue" is comparatively restrained, Dangerfield's impressive range hitched to spare keyboard blips. But as "Sao Paolo" builds from swinging piano ballad to horns-powered prog symphony over eleven fireworks-packed minutes, there's no denying that in the world of Guillemots, bigger is definitely better. –-Louis Pattison
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Under the radar for too long. I only discovered the Guillemots earlier this year, and had actually never heard of them previously. I now know what I was missing. This is a fantastic album; I love the addition of big band music with the more familiar, expected instruments. It's a sound in its own league with lyrics which actually have coherency, depth and meaning; a welcome change these days. Overall, it's very relaxing, and ambient in style in some songs. Vocally, it sounds a little like David Gray, but in terms of... more info
fyugfugkkguhgkgkr87654774747 No, man, I shouldn't like this as much as I do. I know this. Yet, considering I've spent the last few years of my life rallying against Britain's acceptance of Hard-Fi and Razorlight as the voice of my generation, I feel Guillemots were a dim light in the bleak, pitch black vacuum of modern not-actually-indie indie rock. This band, and this album, existed on the cusp of mainstream acceptance at the time of its release, and it should have been a revolution. All the stars were alligned; it was up for a... more info
Give it time This is a classic 'grower'. For those (like me) whose expectations were primed by the singles, it can take a bit of adjustment before the real beauty of this album starts to kick in. In place of catchy pop hooks and predictable song structures you get expansive soundscapes and detailed arrangements that reward repeated listening. And after a surfeit of bands recreating the 70's, it's a change to hear a group with influences rooted in the 80's, but with some sobering and reflective post-7/7 lyrics that... more info
goes on getting better Like all the best albums this one takes time to get to know and it has certainly grown on me over the last 3 months. I bought this after Guillemots appeared at 2006 Bestival, and I'd love to see them again. This album is full of passion and emotion: it builds with huge orchestral waves of sound; it's tender, thrilling and complex. It has shades of Bjork, Pink Floyd, Jeff Buckley and even Chris Izaak in the vocals. At least that's my opinion. The more upbeat numbers are in the minority, but nevertheless the... more info
