Glasser- Ring (a guest review!)

Mix one part tribal drums, one part electronica and two parts epic harmonies and leave in the fridge overnight...

You awake the next morning to a cacophony of heavenly vocals emanating from the kitchen.

You wander down the stairs, hearing the beat of tribal drums getting louder and louder as you approach and open the fridge door:

This is “Ring”, the debut album from Glasser.

If we were to think of music as a spectrum of colour, with Fever Ray on the dark side, Cameron Mesirow’s Glasser would surely be at the opposite end. Her music resembles Fever Ray with similarly echoing female vocals, but lighter and more accessible in nature as compared to the somewhat scary sound of her Swedish contemporary.

Opening track “Apply” introduces the tribal beat that sets the tone and continues to be the strongest element of the song, almost overpowering Mesirow’s vocals; that is until the harmonious “morning” takes over and continues to build with additional layered vocals.

“Home” is my personal favourite from the album, and blends so many layers together it’s difficult to keep up; you’re just along for the ride as Mesirow’s harmonies reach an uplifting, almost stadium-filling sound.

Glasser- Home

The pentatonic scale used in “Glad” starts to unwind an oriental sound, and, if you listen closely to the strings and bells towards the end of “Home” (the previous track), you can almost hear its seed being planted.

“Plain Temp” takes us back to the tribal theme and is almost reminiscent of the “Circle of Life” from Disney’s “The Lion King” in its repeating chorus.

In terms of beat and vocals, “T” is closer to Fever Ray. Yet it never really gets going, even with the introduction of the synthesiser halfway through the track. At a little over 5 minutes long, it left me rather disappointed. Still, the opening line of “Tremel” (recently remixed by Jamie from The XX) always reminds me of the vocal melody of The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby”, which can only be a good thing. It only repeats a couple of times, but I like to think it was perhaps a little nod to one of Mesirow’s musical heroes.

Seventh of nine is “Mirrorage”. This starts off with a humming minimal beat, but Mesirow keeps layering and layering, building this into another standout from the album- even surprising along the way with some interesting vocals near the end that I’ll leave for you as a surprise.

Glasser- Mirrorage

Penultimate song “Treasure of We” returns to the pentatonic scale but only really picks up half way through. Like many of the songs on this album, it travels and evolves, and, by its climax, has amassed the same expansive reverberations as Florence and the Machine.

Finishing the album: “Clamour”. Mesirow blends everything we’ve heard so far into one, even adding a brass instrument we haven’t yet experienced.

So, when everything is done, there are simply echoes of the past. Somewhere, faintly in the background, the drumming comes back, looping us back to the beginning of “Apply”.

And, suddenly, you’re back standing in your kitchen, staring into the fridge, wondering what just happened.

This really is one of my standout albums of 2010 and I hope you enjoy it.

Now go get a bongo and “Apply” twice a day.