I’m constantly annoyed when British acts make great albums, release them to critical acclaim and public success in their native land, only to wait another six months to a year to release then in the United States. Meanwhile, we Anglophiles wait anxiously for the albums to eventually come out, or pay the exorbitant import costs. This is the case for the recent releases of Elbow, Super Furry Animals and Andrew W.K. (even though Andrew W.K. isn’t British, but that’s beside the point).
Another perfect example is Ed Harcourt’s debut LP, Here Be Monsters. Nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2001, it is a grand and mysterious romp through the world of the Brighton coast native. With his music, Harcourt tells stories of love, excitement and even of birds flying backwards.
Most of the songs are piano and guitar based, with all sorts of other instruments for texturing. On the song “God Protect Your Soul,” a horn section adds a bizarre feel that adds to the song’s already eerie tone. These horns are also an integral part of the song “Apple of My Eye,” where it flows throughout the piece as a perfect accent to an already beautiful song.
Still, though, the piano is the driving force behind most of the songs. In “She Fell Into My Arms,” the piano serves as a melodic anchor as guitars, horns and strings dance around it.
Unlike other British acts like Starsailor or Coldplay, this isn’t yet another collection of sad mid-tempo songs that have lush orchestrations in order to cover up an otherwise bland arrangement. Harcourt actually has some fun songs – that’s right, the English can have fun, too! “Apple of My Eye” is a great up-tempo pop song that has been stuck in my head ever since I first heard it, and I don’t seem to mind either!
Then there is the bouncy “Shanghai.” It is so gleeful and spunky, it sounds as if it came out of a funky musical. On first listen, it seems out of place with the rest of the album, but on further examination it is the perfect break between the somber “Birds Fly Backwards” and the lovely “Like Only Lovers Can.”
Fear not, there still are a couple of those songs for the sad soul in all of us. “Those Crimson Tears” is a slow and heartbreaking ballad, backed only by a piano, French horn and cello. It is soft, delicate and oh, so gorgeous. There is also the haunting “Beneath the Heart of Darkness,” which is as dark and ethereal as anything Coldplay ever did.
I’ve had this album for about a week now and have listened to it at least five or six times in its entirety. It encompasses so many emotions and moods that I can’t get over it. Anyone acquainted with the music scene in England, even in the slightest degree, should buy this album and love it. In fact, one need not know anything about music to love this album, it’s that good!
Grade: A
