I wasn’t alive in the 1970s, but I have a very vivid image burned into my memory on what they were like from old family photographs, film, televison, magazines, and other imagery. Some things that immediately pop into my mind when I think of America in the 70s are big cars, crotch riding bell-bottoms, polyester, leisure suits, badass moustaches, curly hair, sideburns, tacky carpets, tinted glasses, maximum amounts of chest hair, uninspired architecture that we’re still living with today, and for some reason the color orange. Not really sure where orange fits into the whole story, but for some reason, it’s there. Oh, and what was the deal with putting brick in the interiors of homes? I’m not talking about exposed brick, but brick built on low rise walls behind couches and shit like that. Weird.
Anyway, I mention these manufactured “memories” because flashes of what I described in the previous paragraph rushed into my head on first listening to the debut full length, Silent Movie, from Quiet Village. When the 70s jive groove kicked in on the beginning of “Circus of Horror” all I could picture was a moustached Matthew McConaughey crusing around in his Corvette in Dazed and Confused. Quiet Village’s sound, however, isn’t as simple as that. The old school funk edge gives way to dreamy and drugged-out disco, while the groove continues to kick in the background. Images of muscle cars and moustaches soon fade and the listener is cast into a spooky, swirling, and exotic haze.
Silent Movie begins peacefully with the sounds of waves churning onto the shore, samples of chirping birds, and beautiful relaxing symphonic compositions on “Victoria’s Secret.” As a whole, the album proves to be difficult to pin down, as it explores a variety of styles where samples and original sounds blend seamlessly. This could be due to Quiet Village members Matt Edwards (aka Radio Slave) and Joel Martin having a wide range of influences. Edwards is better known for his techno hits, while Martin is an ex-film editor and music fanatic.
The aptly titled “Pacific Rhythm” brings together slight elements of reggae and surf tunes rooted in freaky funk and topped with symphonic strings and sexy female vocals. It’s one of the only songs on the 12-track LP that contains vocals. The elegantly composed “Utopia” features beautiful finger-plucked melodies, percussion sections that sound like drops of water hitting an echoey cavern floor and effervescent keys.
Edwards truely shows his diversity on Silent Movie, revealing his softer side as most of the album washes away the stresses of the listener, that is, until you pop off your headphones and are thrust back into reality. Highly reccommended for kicking back as the warmer summer months creep up on us.
Silent Movie is out on May 13th via !K7 Records, preview some of the album and order it on their micro-site here.
[MP3]: Quiet Village ”Circus of Horror”
[MP3]: Quiet Village ”Pacific Rhythm”
Silent Movie, !K7; 2008