With bands like The Fierce And The Dead, Tom Slatter and Audioplastik on the books, Bad Elephant is fast becoming a label synonymous with stubbornly pigeonhole-resistant projects.
Anglo-Dutch neo-proggers Nine Stones Close have found themselves in illustrious company, and with good reason. Their first release since 2012’s superb One Eye On The Sunrise, their fourth studio album offers a twist on their already distinctive sound.
The group have twinned elegance with subtle psychedelia, crafting compact opuses that are distinct yet form
a catalogue that flows effortlessly from one piece to the next. Opener Complicated is addictive due to its foot-tapping bass line and synthetic undercurrents, which are a vital aspect of Leaves’ personality.
Psychedelia is something they’ve drawn on throughout their development, but never to this extent (check out the 13-minute odyssey Goldfish). Adrian O’Shaughnessy’s vocals are sublime throughout, never more so than on
the title track. Leaves proposes an intriguing trajectory for Nine Stones Close, and hints at the evolution
yet to come.
