A cursory glance through the annals of indie/alternative music will reveal that Simon Scott was the drummer with Slowdive on their first two albums. This alone is no idle claim since Scott played an integral part in Slowdive being one of the most revered acts of the shoegazing/dreampop scene. His work as the leader of Televise may have been less heralded but is no less worthwhile. I thoroughly enjoyed the group’s first album ‘Songs To Sing In A & E’; a superb alternative pop record which did much to solidify Scott’s reputation as a quality songwriter. Rather than rest on his laurels though, the follow-up ‘Strings And Wires’ was a low-key minimalist affair. ‘Sometimes Splendid Confusion’ also takes a wordless approach but is an elegant, mesmeric record, which proves there’s yet more versatility and talent in the Scott armoury.
Beginning with the glacial ‘Tropical Mix’, it’s an elegant serene start. The following ‘Rain.Dot.Sunshine’ reminded me of Mole Harness especially the way in which layers of melody - both electronic and acoustic - are run in parallel; moulded together to achieve a glorious whole. ‘The Longing’, meanwhile, follows a sublime droning pattern with nature samples lending the track a grounded feel. ‘II De Televise’ is the only track which doesn’t quite convince; its watery samples sound too hesitant and ill-structured. The underwater theme is continued for ‘Fish Fish Fish’, which does a fine job of conjuring up haunting atmospheres of undersea danger. Finally, Praveen’s mix of first album track ‘Never Alone’ condenses a lengthy track into a more manageable - yet also more intriguing - seven minutes. With a new album out on Distant Noise Records as well, 2008 looks like being another very productive year for Scott.
Web Sites:
Televise MySpace
Drifting Falling Label Site
Further Listening:
Mole Harness, Motodestra, Vladislav Delay
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