If Sian Alice Group are anything, theyre ambitious. With a run time of 59 minutes and 59 seconds, their debut LP, 59:59, packs in a lot, tackling everything from gothic blues and folk noir to Spiritualized-tinted shoegaze and avant-garde classical. Usually such a wide stylistic range would make for a disjointed mess but surprisingly, 59:59 is the complete opposite. With guests such as Douglas Hart (Jesus and Mary Chain), John Coxon (Spiritualized/Spring Heel Jack) and Brian DeGraw (Gang Gang Dance), this loose collective from London, UK have made one cohesive, as well as impressive, album, which transforms a multitude of styles into something distinct. At the centre is singer Sian Ahern, her fragile, broken-voiced vocals working as a guide through 16 dark, complex tracks, and multi-instrumentalist Rupert Clervaux, whose production work wraps each song in a warm blanket of analog sound. And while 59:59 is undeniably glum, and by no means an uplifting listen, it is one that leaves the distinct aftertaste of satisfaction.
(The Social Registry)Sian Alice Group
59:59
BY Brock ThiessenPublished Feb 25, 2008