Quill are a seven piece country/folk/rock band based in Birmingham, England. The album Brush With The Moon is their debut album. The band is formed by experienced musicians, including Bev Bevan who played with Electric Light Orchestra, The Move and Black Sabbath. The album is a collection of songs written by the late Ben Brain, the husband of lead singer Joy Strachan-Brain. The artwork is also made by Ben. I really like the artwork and his style of drawing. Every track has got its own artwork in the booklet. I have to admit that this music is too tame and sweet for me, but that doesn't mean that the music is not enjoyable to listen to. I'm sure a lot of people will love it and I do think that the band will probably sound amazing live. The production of the album is very good, not one minor point to be found while listening to it on speakers or headphones. Joy Strachan-Brain has a very good voice, all the vocals on the albums are great actually. The album starts with the track Quicksilver which is a very mellow and sweet song. The second track Tumbling Years contains a grand piano, acoustic guitar and violin. It's a very tender and sweet song and Joy sings very tender, but knows how to express her emotions. I really like the string intro of third track Schoolyard. Fourth track Poppy Fields is one of those tracks you will put on during a romantic night, mainly because of the string section. In the beginning the fifth track Nine Mile Camp has an African music feel due to the typical African music rhythms and singing style. Later, the track turns into a more 'rocky' track and then turns back to the African music theme. The sixth track England is very traditional folk music like, especially how the violins and the percussion sound. This track is my favourite track from the album. The seventh track Hollywood Blue is my least favourite track from the album, a bit too tame in my opinion. It's a very soft country like track. The eight track Wedding Dress starts very 80s like for me, that is probably because of the sound of the keyboards. The ninth track called Twister sounds very country/western like. The last track Man In White is about the 9/11 disaster when the Twin Towers collapsed because of a terror attack. You hear bits and pieces of newsreaders telling about the disaster. The music sounds very dramatic and haunting after 3 minutes. Despite the fact that it's not the type of music I regularly listen to I'm sure that I will play the album from time to time. I would recommend this album to people who love to listen to a mixture of sweet country and folk music. **** Iris Hidding (edited by Astrid de Ronde) Where to buy? |
