Christchurch four-piece The Enright House have done well with their debut LP Amaze and Amazement. A dense work of shifting melodies and whispered vocals, this record is complex and ethereal, and will no doubt be a hit for anyone with a taste for dark, layered post-rock in the same vein as Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Ros, or Mogwai. One outstanding question has to be asked though; are things in Christchurch really this bleak?
According to Enright House vocalist/songwriter Mark Roberts, yes, they are.
From album opener ‘Scattering the Sun Like Gunshot’, the haunting sense of sombre gloom sets in, and doesn’t ever leave. Precise, stabbing drum rhythms underpin deep layers of guitar and synth, driving the song steadily forward. After a decent instrumental introduction, Roberts’ thin, hazy voice pushes through the mix, giving the song an added sense of depth and definition.
This multi-layered combination of textured guitars, thick synth and wispy vocals is used throughout the album to great effect. Live drums are occasionally traded for electronic rhythms, as on the intriguingly titled ‘Darkwave Equals MC Squared.’ Elsewhere, as on ‘Do Re Mi’ and ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’, spoken word tracks lie submerged in the mix, cut up and unintelligible. A real treat is the largely acoustic ‘Rain’, a sweet gem of melody towards the end of the album.
However, there are a few missteps here. On a few occasions, Roberts’ songs tend to stretch themselves out beyond their capacity, drifting onwards with no direction. The best example of this is the title track, a largely electronic piece of warbling noise overlaid with breathy vocals that spends three and a half minutes going nowhere.
Roberts’ slightly clumsy lyrics don’t help either. On ‘Up’, he laments to himself “how can I possibly explain this? I am hurt, and I am tired/I’m too tired to get up/I’m too tired to stay up/I’m too tired to stay alive.” Songs like this prove that the line between thoughtfully-crafted emotional confessions and tiresome whinging is one carefully trod.
Despite its occasional instrumental stumble, and pervading sense of morose detachment, Amaze and Amazement is still a decent album, and will no doubt find an audience with the post-rock crowd. Still though, you’ve got to wonder whether this album has been released at the right time of year; it’s doubtful anyone will give this a listen while the sun is out.