Bright Curse Stream New Album Time of the Healer in its Entirety; Out Tomorrow on Ripple Music
Posted in audiObelisk on May 9th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Bright Curse make their return with Time of the Healer tomorrow, May 10, through Ripple Music — almost three years to the day after their 2016 debut, Before the Shore (review here) was released. The time between has been eventful for the band to say the least. The label that put out the first outing, which was preceded by their 2013 self-titled EP (review here), was HeviSike Records, which unceremoniously folded thereafter amidst all kinds of shadiness accusations on the part of multiple parties. Also certainly relevant, Bright Curse are essentially a different band now than they were three years ago, with founding guitarist/vocalist Romain Daut revamping the lineup and moving from a trio to a four-piece now comprised of himself along with guitarist Tommy Foster, bassist Sammy Deveille and drummer Mark Buckwell. Unsurprisingly, there’s been an according shift in sound that’s evident throughout Time of the Healer as relates to Before the Shore, taking on a more weighted tonality — two guitars’ll do that — while exploring progressive textures of funk and jazz early on opener “Smoke of the Past” with start-stops and Peruvian flute.
Across that 11-minute leadoff and two other extended pieces in “Shadows” and the title-track paired as the closing duo with the shorter “Laura” (5:36) and “Une Virée” (3:03) between, Bright Curse find a method of delivery that is at once heavy and spacious without relying too much on effects or echo to make it happen. The mix is natural even as lead guitar emerges at the fore, and they’re able to shift tempo and volume naturally as “Smoke of the Past” progresses, leading to a closing funk jam that moves directly into the blues guitar intro to “Laura,” which works on a linear build toward a trumpet-topped rolling payoff — life is full of surprises; sometimes that surprise is a trumpet — and gives way to its own transitional stretch at the end, letting the French-language (Daut is a France-to-London-to-France transplant) spoken word and quiet guitar and percussion add a jazzy feel that builds off that of “Smoke of the Past” without echoing it directly. A hazy groove ensues until what might be a
manipulated sample of dogs barking leads the way into “Shadows” and the accordingly bluesy pulse that thrives at its outset.
That transition, which is also presumably where side A ends and side B begins, is particularly interesting since it speaks to Time of the Healer working on more of a linear pattern, intended to be taken as an unbroken entirety. The extended runtimes of some of its tracks speak to a change in mindset as well — Bright Curse have written their share of longer songs, but never before hit the 10-minute mark — and if the intention is that Time of the Healer‘s tracks should be read as pieces of a whole work, movements within something larger, then that sensibility is duly accomplished in the finished product of the album itself. The flow of “Shadows” with its bluesy and grungy nod and brighter lead coming forward like that of “Smoke of the Past” before it doesn’t hurt either in that regard, as Daut‘s vocals lead a transition into more bottom-heavy nod at about seven minutes in. They finish “Shadows” with a slow march and an obscured sludgy clip that’s not really identifiable. When the closer ensues a few seconds later, it’s with a funky rhythm and a full sense of summary for what the album that shares its name has had on offer. There are two departure jams — one with trumpet (hello again) and one more spacious of quiet guitar ambience and percussion and between and after them, Bright Curse get as heavy as they’ve ever gotten, winding up at the finish for one last hit answered by string sounds also of unknown origin.
The message there could hardly be clearer in that Bright Curse, as they’ve done all along here, provide the next song’s intro, only there’s no next song to follow. Bright Curse are saying they’re not done, and frankly, I believe it. If having their label pulled out from under them and completely remaking the band didn’t kill them, I’m not sure anything other than a self-imposed “okay that’s it” can do so. All the better they never got to that point, though, as Time of the Healer shows the ongoing will toward creative growth in its arrangements and general reach that has been a defining factor in the band’s expressive searching, and one hopes that, with such turbulence behind them and this record as the result, they’re able to move forward from here and continue that sonic expansion into parts yet unknown. Time of the Healer does this boldly.
I’m thrilled today to host the premiere of the full album ahead of its proper release tomorrow on Ripple. Please find it below and enjoy:
Romain Daut on Time of the Healer:
It has been an adventure to record and release Time of The Healer. A lot has changed since our last album Before The Shore.
With the departure of Zach and Max, former drummer and bass player, and the whole mess with HeviSike, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to carry on, then I realised that not playing music was not working for me, so I started writing new material, not really knowing if it would get released or not…
Then Sammy offered to come back in the band (He is one of the first 3) and Mark from Chubby Thunderous Bad Kush Masters was up for it too. So we started working, and then recorded the whole thing. I had a daughter, moved back to France.
Everything Bright Curse related takes more time and money, but when you are motivated, it doesn’t matter…
Ripple offered to release the album and I am really happy to work with them now.
Bright Curse is:
Romain Daut: Guitar, Flute, Vocals
Sammy Deveille: Bass, Double Bass
Mark Buckwell: Drums, Percussions
Tommy Foster: Additional guitarsDylan Jones: Trumpet on “Laura” and “Time of The Healer”
Produced By Romain Daut and JB Pilon
Recorded and Mixed at Buffalo Studio (London UK)
Mastered at Audiosiege Portland.
Bright Curse on Thee Facebooks
