To put The Aeon Wanderers album into any sort of category is nigh on impossible, its 60’s influenced pop one minute, the next it’s ethereal musings, and then amazingly it can be found rocking out too.
Written by: Explorer
ARTIST: The Aeon Wanderers
ALBUM: Fictional Histories
LABEL: Self Released
YEAR: 2020
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: England, USA
LINEUP: Owen Hodgson – all instruments, voices * Andrea Kremer – voices
TRACK LISTING: 01 Don’t Go * 02 Magpie * 03 Don’t Say Anything * 04 Pedestal * 05 Wild * 06 Time * 07 Going By The Numbers * 08 Dark Truth* 09 Black Umbrella * 10 Detonate* 11 Diary
Background
Seemingly out of nowhere come The Aeon Wanderers with this their most wonderful debut album, but of course there’s always a back story to be told. Bostonian Andrea Kremer, and Englishman (now residing in Scotland) Owen Hodgson have been collaborating for a number of years.
Initially getting together as part of an online musical collective, they found common ground and that their voices blended together perfectly, as a result some cover versions were recorded but then they both felt that the original material that was being produced was too good not to record.
So, after 4 long years here is the result. The Aeon Wanderers deliver an album that conjures up images of the likes of XTC, Elvis Costello, Kate Bush all the way through to The Beatles and beyond.
The Songs
To put The Aeon Wanderers album into any sort of category is nigh on impossible, it’s 60’s influenced pop one minute, ethereal musings the next, and then amazingly it can be found rocking out too. I’m going for ‘Progressive Pop’, I’m not sure whether the band would agree with me on this but we like our genre’s here at Glory Daze!
Opener ‘Don’t Go’ has a stabbing guitar riff that is immediately implanted on the brain, and with the smooth vocals and silky harmonies makes for the perfect start. ‘Magpie’ is a slightly darker, yet paradoxically uplifting tune with a hushed vocal, and harmonies that paint pictures of late 60’s vocal groups, but there’s a sting in the tail as in the middle it unexpectedly rocks out on us. ‘Don’t Say Anything’ goes a little lo-fi and is a stripped back tune with the male vocal taking the lead on this occasion.
‘Pedestal’ has a winsome Kate Bush feel to it, and is simply gorgeous. ‘Wild’ is at times rock driven, but then has some gentle almost pastoral elements too, sonically it reminds me of those Boston Proggers Schooltree who also have a flair for the dramatic. ‘Time’ is different again, and can only be seen as their disco/dance number. I found myself drawing comparisons with Steven Wilson‘s ‘Permanating’ track from a few years ago.
‘Going By The Numbers’ has, what I can only describe as a Burundi type beat at the heart of it and is insanely catchy, with Andrea Kremer’s vocals really adding to the songs vibe, at this early stage it’s a definite standout for me. ‘Dark Truth’ is an upbeat slice of Sunshine Pop, and the all too short ‘Black Umbrella’ comes across like a piece of orchestral pop that The Beatles excelled at.
‘Detonate’ has a real sense of drama, from its quiet beginnings and then ebbing and flowing in a quite beautiful fashion. ‘Diary’ closes the album and the ticking of a clock dictates the tempo, and is a haunting, sparse song that is the perfect ending.
In Summary
I was initially struck by the quite wonderful harmonies throughout this album, but with repeated spins I found myself being drawn to the arrangements and the clever use of sonics, which gives the whole album a sense of the dramatic without ever being over bearing.
This record demands multiple plays to discover all its secrets, and there are plenty. A quite exquisite album that at times gave me goosebumps. The Aeon Wanderers album is a ‘shoe in’ for being in my end of year best of list.
Video
Album Sneak Preview
