Modern Studies – The Weight Of The Sun
Fire Records – Out Now
Do labels define or confine? Do the constraints of a word limit or does pushing against the edges force one to acknowledge possibilities only previously hinted at? Modern Studies seem to exist at these crossroads, yet The Weight Of The Sun seems more in tune with finding the right note, rather than checking the correct box in order to fit a particular definition.
One may find it difficult to understand how Emily Scott can live in Edinburgh, while Rob St. John roams Lancashire’s Forest of Bowland. Despite their geographic distance, a psychological camaraderie binds the band together. The intersection of voices and instruments come into focus immediately on Photograph. From a gloriously elemental opening with guitar and simple keyboard, the emphasis turns toward the influences that have aged the picture, as the drums of Joe Smillie, and Pete Harvey’s bass take the song down a darker road.
There are pop pathways to explore on Heavy Water. The voices of Scott and St. John dance on melodic keys and horns generating a sense of exultation that’s a perfect antidote for these trying times. Exploration abounds, as Scott explains, “I loved when Pete made the bird sound at the end of Rob’s Heavy Water on a frantically scraped violin very late one night.” As she continues, “My favourite bit about recording is the moment of exploring instruments, you have absolutely no business playing.”
Opening with a bubbling bass and brooding organ, Brother simmers lyrically with one of my favourite lines, “The ear finds what the eye avoids.” The song strips back to the basics before leaving with an exploration of a more full-body sound, exiting with a few notes of xaphoon, the illegitimate sibling of the clarinet and saxophone. So much of what makes The Weight Of The Sun is the way the band intertwines instruments combining found sounds with the warmth of air-powered instrumentation to create a harmonic whole.
There’s a sense of subtlety and grace to The Weight Of The Sun that only comes from a band that is confident in their ability to find the power in the music. And rather than bludgeoning the listener, Modern Studies deploys notes sparingly so as not to overplay their hand. Like any true musicians, Modern Studies knows the power in the music doesn’t just come from the notes they play, but even more importantly, from the ones they don’t play. The Weight Of The Sun is all the better for it.
Order The Weight of the Sun: https://fire-records.lnk.to/MS_WeightOfTheSunID