SONG OF THE DAY
“Sweet Beliefs” by Cyann & Ben (Sweet Beliefs, Ever Records, 2006).
INTERESTING FACTS & LINKS
- Cyann & Ben is a Parisian Post-rock and dream pop band.
- The band has released three albums, with both Gooom Disques and now Ever Records.
- From Pitchfork Media: “An unusual atmosphere: It’s pensive, sad, pretty music that only lets loose reluctantly yet somehow remains true to the band’s pastoral roots while raising the faders on organs, Chamberlains, and electric guitars. It’s music best described in terms of the images it evokes– rain on a narrow dirt road hugged by old-growth forest, footage of small towns in the Ardenne with the color drained out, or a body by a river bank, all cut by the occasional stab of futuristic laser light. Though overriding texture is what roped me into this album in the first place, the subtler details are what kept me listening– especially on the long and winding title track, which begins in a completely different place from where it ends. The song opens on a steady piano part touched by sliding space noises, with Cyann’s vocals only half-exposed in the mix. Then, just under two minutes in, the texture shifts and a kettledrum brings sudden gravity to the song. In the ensuing passage, it falls to earth, ultimately building to a big, ominous guitar riff that carries the song to a forbiddingly icy conclusion.…At its best, Sweet Beliefs possesses a sweeping beauty, placing Cyann & Ben squarely in a lineage that stretches back through Stereolab and Pink Floyd.”
WHERE I HEARD IT
CBS’ Criminal Minds