Press for Nothing isLost (2008)
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THE TIMES
THE INDEPENDENT
ROCK 'N REEL
THE SUNDAY TIMES
MAVERICK
CLASH MAGAZINE
Metro
Nothing is Lost (G-Folk) the fourth album by the colourfully monikered Pete Lush and his Brighton-based band Things in Herds, strips back the folky glitch-tech of previous albums to reveal sublime, hushed acoustica on which everything is understated and therefore all the more intense. Tremulous guitars, harmonicas, piano chords and quietly brushed drums provide an almost uncomfortably intimate setting for Lush's lyrical heartache, with his Nick Drake-esque voice finding sweet echo in Miss Ping's whispered backing vocals. Sounding rather like an unplugged version of Minnesota-based post-rock trio Low, Things in Herds find the virtue in stillness and stealth, to the point where the sense of barely suppressed feelings becomes almost unbearable.
Claire Allfree
Ondarock Il cielo sull’Inghilterra è un’immensa distesa di carta da zucchero, in cui un appena tiepido sole cristallizza all’imbrunire il trascorrere del tempo, mentre impalpabili fittissime lacrime d’autunno scendono leggere ricoprendo gli alberi, le panchine, i lampioni ancora spenti.Se è vero che la meteorologia è in grado di influenzare gli stati d’animo, si potrebbe addirittura pensare che una particolare predisposizione artistica sia in qualche modo indirizzata da condizioni climatiche opportune, o ancor meglio si potrebbe arrivare a sostenere che, in un idoneo contesto paesaggistico, un certo tipo di sensibilità musicale abbia maggiori probabilità di risvegliarsi, in quegli spiriti eletti che ne sono provvisti. Gli inglesi Things In Herds, giunti con “Nothing Is Lost” al loro quarto album, partendo dalla sonnolenta Brighton, dove il grigio perlato del cielo si mescola col blu profondo del mare, approdano ancora una volta nel vecchio continente con la loro soave delicatissima musica.
“Niente è perduto” sussurra Pete Lush, cantautore anima del progetto Things In Herds, mentre un quasi impercettibile ma sapientemente misurato sorriso si disegna sulle sue labbra. Il titolo dell’album, come si evince dalle stesse parole di Pete, è giocato a doppio filo su una raffinata ironia in bilico tra illusione e disillusione, alla quale fa eco la dolce amarezza dei testi, che nel corso dell’album si dipanano lievi e composti come in un aggraziato minuetto di luci ed ombre, posandosi leggeri su una malinconica e diafana tessitura strumentale.
Arrangiamenti semplici e minimali che, tra un’armonica delicata ed una batteria spazzolata, una chitarra acustica pizzicata con garbo e perizia e poche sparse note di piano, accompagnano la fragile e morbida voce di Pete Lush, la quale, nei momenti più emozionanti dell’album, si alterna ed intreccia con quella dolcemente sussurrata della leggiadra Miss Ping, unico altro componente del gruppo oltre che artefice dei tenui e gradevolissimi disegni utilizzati per la grafica di tutti gli album del duo.
“Niente è perduto”, benché nulla, se proprio vogliamo essere pignoli, sia stato trovato. Non ci sono novità eclatanti nei suoni e nelle canzoni di questo piccolo album, distribuito, per ora, solo in versione cdr e, nelle prime 100 copie, contenente un brano in più.
Forse, però, proprio in questa mancanza di novità sta il suo sorprendente fascino.
Nonostante l’ingombrante ed inevitabile paragone con Nick Drake salti subito alla mente e sia, a tratti, talmente evidente da far quasi pensare ad una inaspettata ricomparsa del compianto artista inglese (“As You Were Ending”, “Nothing Is Lost”), le capacità compositive ed interpretative di Pete Lush permettono a “Nothing Is Lost” di penetrare in profondità le barriere protettive dell’ascoltatore, pian piano, nota dopo nota, ascolto dopo ascolto, lasciandolo nudo e privo di difese davanti a tanta semplicità e pura grazia.
I criteri e le categorie della critica non dovrebbero applicarsi a brani carichi di emotività come l’iniziale “Once Were”, davvero da brividi, o la soave e accattivante “You Know”, cui, piuttosto, ci si dovrebbe avvicinare con la mente sgombra ed il cuore aperto. Bisognerebbe, altrimenti, provare a spiegare perché poche note sparse, già sentite in centinaia di altre occasioni, regalino all’ascoltatore questo avvolgente e caldo senso di malinconia; provare a capire per quale recondito motivo le schive e semplici melodie senza pretese sciorinate dai Things In Herds possano produrre una tale emanazione di dolci percezioni e sentimenti delicati.
Ed invece, a rendere questo lavoro diverso dai dieci, cento, mille altri album che partono dalle stesse premesse, a fare tutta la differenza del mondo sono la sincerità e la compassione (nel senso latino del termine) che Pete ci trasmette, traslando tali sentimenti in una musica che, nonostante il titolo dell’album suggerisca il contrario, infondono nell’animo sensibile una persistente impressione di privazione ed un sottile retrogusto di rimpianto, senza, tuttavia, rinunciare a quel velato e malinconico sorriso di cui si diceva poco sopra. Solo ponendosi in questo modo, anziché tentare di comprenderne le ascendenze (evidenti, come si diceva), le influenze e l’importanza nell’ambito di quella storia della musica leggera cui i Things In Herds, molto probabilmente, non hanno nemmeno particolare interesse ad appartenere, solo con un approccio del genere, quindi, libero da qualsiasi tentativo di fredda catalogazione musicale o di analitica “vivisezione” dei brani, ci si potrà immergere a fondo in questo mare di emozioni e malinconia che “Nothing Is Lost” schiude innanzi ai sensi dell’ascoltatore.
E solo lasciando da parte tutte le sovrastrutture che accompagnano l’ascolto di quello che, senza dubbio, può essere considerato l’ennesimo album di musica folk, pieno di canzoni dalla semplice e cristallina bellezza, si potrà ricavare da questa esperienza la massima soddisfazione.
Chi, come noi, ci ha provato assicura che ne vale, senz’altro, la pena.
Alessandra Reale, Francesco Amoroso Ondarock.itWhisperinandhollerin
Our Rating: 8/10
The popular music scene is positively crawling with bands proclaiming themselves to be the greatest thing since someome took a sharp cutting tool to that doughy mixture of yeast, flour and water. Such is the nature of an industry that often requires success above all else, particularly if the band in question wants to last longer than one album. So it's refreshing to read Things In Herds's website introduction: "It does feel somehow irresponsible to be adding to the unimaginably huge flood of music in the world today. Still, it's a fairly short album so it shouldn't take up to [sic] much room at the party. It's also pretty damn quiet, and should be more than content to hover in the corner and to leave fairly early. Without causing a fuss." This sweet sense of self-deprecation, of restrained self-awareness, is touching. The general sense is that, whilst other bands cry out for attention, demanding that the public sit up and listen to them, right this minute, Things In Herds are content to let the listener come to them.'Nothing Is Lost' is the fourth album by the band, a leading member of the 'Fence Collective', the loose grouping of musicians based up in Anstruther, East Fife, and affiliated with 'Fence Records'. This particular album, however, is self-released (on their own 'G-Folk' label), and the ethos surrounding the album is certainly 'do-it-yourself'. Whilst abandoning the occasional electronica of previous album, 'Everything Has To End Somewhere', 'Nothing Is Lost' still maintains a lo-fi attitude. The album package that arrived at my doorstep, as well as containing the album on a blank CD-R, even had a hand-written postcard from Pete Lush, who alongside the intriguingly monikered Miss Ping, makes up Things In Herds, apologising for the "unsolicited nature" of the delivery. No apologies necessary, Pete, particularly when the content is so heartbreakingly beguiling as this.'As You Were Ending' is sad. Very, very sad, in fact. Seemingly a goodbye to a departing lover, it nevertheless ends on a possibly (?) optimistic note, with the narrator 'setting out' on what is likely to be a rather lonely road, accompanied only by the last few notes of a hushed organ. The lyrics are, for the most part, concerned with similar themes of heartbreak, failed relationships and loneliness. The exception to this is 'You Know', the penultimate track, which appears to describe the waking moments of a couple, lying in bed; "Although nothing is endless/For now this is ours", a sweet ode to the immediate beauty of those moments shared together in a relationship. For once, the gorgeous harmonies of Lush and Ping are not at odds with the lyrics, but complement the content, and are ably supported by a piano line that crescendoes and diminuendoes wonderfully, completing this emotionally uplifting song. The piano also crops up in the sole instrumental track of the album (and the most instrumentally diverse of the album), 'Before You Go', whispery and sounding like it's being played from a distant and empty room at the back of an old manor-house. The spectral ambiance of the track is certainly not dispelled by the introduction of the theremin, six seconds after the start of the track, which carries the song's melody. The combination of haunting piano, sliding fret-work squeaks and theremin portamento creates a track that is beautifully unsettling.Elsewhere, 'That's All' starts off simply, driven along by an exquisite, finger-picked guitar melody line. More dynamic than the opening two tracks, with a scratchy snare drum beat underpinning everything, the song is later joined by Miss Ping's harmonica, giving it a 'mournful cowboy' feel, the sort of thing to be played alone by a campfire, surrounded by darkness. The harmonica also appears in the opening track, 'Once Were', a sound that had me immediately thinking of a small café tucked away down the side streets of Paris. Another track of note, 'Nothing Means A Thing', is a rather energetic, barn-shuffler of a track whose message, 'It's not important/If nothing means a thing', is positive, albeit in a rather nihilistic sort of way.Coming in at just under 35 minutes of mostly acoustic, delicately-picked guitar melodies and hushed, dreamy falsettos, this album is a lovingly-crafted collection of melancholic songs, perfect for sharing with a loved one, or embracing alone, with a slight tear in the eye. A rewarding and under-stated release of longing, loving and losing, this is perfect for those quiet, reflective moments, late at night, with the rain lashing down, or for after the aforementioned party has finished, sharing the dying remnants of that bottle of wine with a few choice friends.
Hamish Davey Wright
http://www.whisperinandhollerin.com/reviews/review.asp?id=5573
Soundsxp
This third full offering from Brighton's rather wonderful delicate folksters has thus far had what is not so much a low-key as no-key CD-R release (though I think they're putting out properly soon).
If you don't know (and you might well not), Pete Lush and collaborator Miss Ping specialise in absolutely heart-stopping tunes with more than a nod to Nick Drake. This might not have as many of the mood-lifting soars of its predecessor Everything Has to End Somewhere, but the spare electronic embellishments to the otherwise now-traditional acoustic guitar, harmonica and piano persist in places. At its heart though this is another album of near-perfect warm and enveloping melancholy, albeit with the odd poppier moment like, ahem, Nothing Means a Thing.
Things in Herds are one of those beautiful secrets that it seems a shame to share for fear of ruining it, but then I don't suppose anyone's reading this anyway...Matt H. Soundsxp.com
Click Music
'Nothing Is Lost' is the fourth album and, as is routine for the act, comes after a three year gap. Gently crafted, with the ghost of Nick Drake (more alive than ever in modern music) obviously the predominant influence, the songs speak for themselves as genuinely warm acoustic songs. They will struggle to find the ear of many, but are nevertheless lovelier than most will ever achieve. Simplicity that spells wonder and provokes thoughtful contemplation and relaxation in equal measure.
Each song is a startling yet soft romantic sounding piece of music from which nothing truly seems to stand out - this is due to the fact that the high standard is maintained throughout. Predominantly voice and acoustic guitar, there are appearances of female backing vocals, harmonica and piano which add another dimension to the scope of the album. The songs reach out their loving arms towards the listener and given the chance they warmly embrace as they unfold; the formula remains the same, simply playing to its strengths. The song is all that matters here and this is a piece of music deserved of wide appreciation.
By the fifth track, when a drum actually kicks in, it seems a tad surreal, but it is an extra push in the album that propels it forward - a marvellous twist amongst the angelic acoustic spell that has been cast upon the listener.
'Nothing Is Lost' is a great album for the head and the heart. If you really love this and have not heard of Things In Herds before, then you have three previous albums of the acts to discover to boot. A thumbs up for the quiet folk, gently rocking their own terrain.
Dominic James Stevenson Click Music
This is the third album by Brighton’s Things In Herds that I have reviewed. Each album has been magnificent and I treasure them in the same way as some people treasure their Nick Drake records.The instrumentation is sparse - a voice and a picked guitar with occasional additions of a female backing voice, drums, and/or harp. The spell is never broken. Each track is an exploration of the vagaries of human relationships that is obviously personal to Pete of Things In Herds but done with such tenderness and universality that I defy you not to relate directly to the lyrics, let alone the feelings expressed.You Know is one of the finest quiet songs I have ever heard. I followed each preview version as it was put up on the MySpace player and it has reached close to perfection on the album with its delicacy and simplicity.Even the only song that could be described as upbeat, due to its music, is nihilistic in its lyrical intent. Nihilistic in a way that leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy and happier than before.Like the earlier Everything Has To End Somewhere, it is an album best listened to at night and best listened to with someone you love. The overall effect is inspiring rather than depressing because you can take strength from the shared experience and find your quiet thoughts and emotions have been expressed and amplified in such an artful way.If you believe the world can be both sad and beautiful then this is the record for you.
David Home http://www.coolnoise.co.uk
I dischi di musica delicata, intimista ed essenziale si dividono in due categorie, secondo me. Quelli che hai voglia di ascoltare solo quando sei in determinati stati d'animo, e quelli che ti coinvolgono sempe e comunque.
Questi ultimi sono pochissimi: mi vengono in mente, tra i contemporanei, Excuses For Travellers dei Mojave 3, i primi due dischi dei Belle & Sebastian, e al momento nient'altro (premettendo che non considero Damien Rice parte della categoria, dato che diverse sue canzoni sono tutt'altro che essenziali). Nothing Is Lost, quarta prova degli inglesi Things In Herds, progetto guidato dalla mente di Pete Lush, può essere senz'altro considerato all'interno di questo ristretto novero. Un uomo, il suo cantato soffice, la sua chitarra acustica quasi sempre arpeggiata, e ad accompagnarlo, non sempre, una voce femminile eterea e poco altro. Una descrizione già sentita mille altre volte, ma quello che si può ascoltare in queste dieci canzoni ha è ben poco di accomunabile ad altro.
Perché Once Were è un intro perfetto per questo tipo di disco, infatti non è di quelli che ti folgora immediatamente, ma è un intro nel senso di introduzione a quello che verrà. Perché la title track è la perfezione, ed in quanto tale è difficile da descrivere in modo più appropriato che non sia usare semplicemente questo vocabolo. Perché If Nothing Means A Thing è il miglior momento di rottura possibile in un contesto come questo, e dà un grande valore aggiunto al disco nel suo complesso proprio per questa sua funzione, oltre che per la qualità in sé. Perché Quiet Enough ha un andamento che ti sballotta emotivamente peggio di un ottovolante.
Perché in generale ad ogni ascolto si svela qualcosa di più: un meandro ancora inesplorato, un risvolto ulteriore, uno spunto che non avevi notato fino a quel momento. Perché in un mercato discografico assurdamente frenetico e sovrabbondante c'è ancora qualcosa che premia la tua pazienza nello scoprirne tutte le caratteristiche con il tempo e l'attenzione.
Perché troppo spesso chi si è cimentato in opere di questo tipo si è curato solo di dare le giuste atmosfere e non si è concentrato a sufficienza sulla messa a fuoco delle canzoni, ma qui no, qui Pete Lush mette le atmosfere al servizio della sostanza di un songwriting straordinario e regala questa autentica perla da scoprire, abbracciare e non fare uscire dalla rotazione dei propri ascolti abituali per chissà quanto tempo. Ci vuole solo un po'di voglia di stargli dietro, ma ne vale sicuramente la pena.Stefano Bartolotta Musicboom.it
The Skinny
Far-flung Fence alumni, Things In Herds (aka Pete Lush and, er, Miss Ping) find the electro variant of their folk-pop largely jettisoned on this, their fourth album, and first for their own Gfolk imprint. So it’s fingerpicking pathos and whispered, bruised confessionals, all hermetically sealed in a fragile, heart-shaped glass bubble throughout. Lush’s plaintive vocals and sparse acoustic guitar dominate, whist Ping adheres to the less-is-more adage, with occasional backing vocals, piano and, on Before You Go, a ghostly theremin that could soundtrack a Mysteron love story and is simply brimming with generosity in dishing out the goose-bumps. In clumsier hands (step forward Snow Patrol), songs like As You Were Ending would ring hollow in an overtly heartstring-tugging, future movie-scoring kind of way, but the adherence to letting the songs, rather than the production, strike the emotional chord is Things In Herds’ trump card.
Darren Carle
Delicate, pastoral hymns of intimacy
Things in Herds are a Brighton based duo and members of the Fence collective albeit a long way away from Scotland. This is the fourth album they have produced and a melancholic joy it is. These are a series of beautifully realised lo-fi vignettes that are crystal clear snapshots of loss and longing.
‘Nothing is Lost’ a lament that wraps a duet around the slightest of melodies and harmonies to produce a stillness and power. As with the opening track ‘Once Here’ there is a crystalline sense of precision, almost a call and response. There are echoes of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s ‘Love Comes To Me’ from ‘The Letting Go’ that same sense of trembling hesitance. Beautiful.
When they ‘cut loose’ it is still fairly restrained ‘If nothing means a thing’ is frankly a touch unremarkable. However this is soon deserted for the ‘winning’ formula with ‘Something to Do’, ‘Quiet Enough’ and ‘Before You Go’ which features a mournful melody that intertwines with the squeak of the guitar chord changes to produce a stunning instrumental.
The last two tracks follow the same path of delicate melancholy to realise a great piece of work. Things in Herds will not sell shedloads; for theirs is a gossamer world that would be trampled under by mass consumption but let’s hope they sell enough to keep making music as affecting as this. Set the volume to 5.5 and draw the curtains.Americana.co.uk
