You certainly can’t accuse Damon Reece of building our hopes up. Asked about the future of Sun’s Signature – of which he and former Cocteau Twin Elizabeth Fraser are the lynchpin – he’s stated that there are no plans to tour or release any other music under the banner. Like many of the ideas associated with this dazzling five track EP, identity, substance and form are amorphous concepts .
Much of the work presented here has a very long half life; Underwater was first made available over 20 years ago as a white label in the aftermath of the Twins messy dissolution. All of the work here was performed at the Royal Festival Hall during the Meltdown Festival of 2012, since then Reece, Fraser and cast of musicians including former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett have at various stages been changing them.
Whether this is a final point for this music – which given the background seems unlikely – it’s here to be admired. Obvious reference points are Joanna Newsom, Bjork and Kate Bush – Fraser’s voice has now swung into a higher register – whilst Hackett adds subtle, virtuoso touches, particularly the Spanish guitar of closer Make Lovely The Day. It’s on Bluedusk however, it’s part incantation, part soaring lullaby being all wonderful, that the lost opportunity of not hearing these songs live is brought home. Surely, it’s petition time.
One of the most attractive qualities of both the Twins music and Fraser’s voice was their absolute timelessness. First released as a Record Store day exclusive, the extended edition is a premise as old as the form itself, in allowing the original material to be reinterpreted, reworked and reimagined, each being grasped by a different and legitimate artist in their own right.
Unsurprisingly every track is a journey and also a worthy exercise, from Hinako Omori’s take on Underwater, gently pattering and sing-song, the glassy ambience of Golden Air as versioned by CUTS and Will Gregory‘s Oriental feeling transformation of Apples.
It feels almost gauche to pick favourites, but fresh from her work sound tracking a documentary about a witch, Gwenno‘s trance like spell on Golden Air haunts, whilst John Grant pours the melancholy to be found at the heart of all his best music into a truly beautiful versioning of Apples. The project skies though with LUMP, ably assisted by the glitchy techno faeries on Bluedusk, a makeover that froths with playful respect for it’s raw materials.
Timeless and unique, Sun’s Signature Extended Edition now in full presents two equally fascinating, old and modern faces of one of the 20th century’s most loved voices. An essence as vital as ever, this is a wonderfully rewarding game of catch it if you can.
You can read a full review here.
The Voice Of Unreason 