onetonnemusic

Somersault details the events of a young girl and her (please hold your cringing till later) and her awakening sexuality. But more so it tells a character story, and feels much more like real life on screen than most movies. It’s simultaneously evocative and unsettling, especially as the film develops. And so too, is the album. Vibraphones and simple rhythms build into complex arrangements and the album evolves into a reflection of the movie – but is not limited to a footnote of the film, it stands on it’s own two feet and shines.

Decoder ring have a hallmark of clanging sounds and more abstract wanderings – but this as an album, perhaps due to it’s nature as a soundtrack has a solid cohesion. The title track Somersault features excellent vocals by a singer known as Lenka. Sonically, it has a feeling that is evocative and deep, it’s not light listening, but it’s still accessible. Recorded in the country on a farm outside Kiama it has a strong sense of place and relationship to the country and feeling of isolation. It’s expressed beautifully. Rough Sex features harmonic distortion not unlike that which we have come to expect from outfits like The Dirty Three.

Lenka makes appearances in several tracks through the album lending an ethereal touch, but also giving the album a more cohesive sound as a whole. While I dread the fact that an album such as this is cannot be left alone, I would be interested to see some of these tracks remixed in a slightly more driving electronic mix – perhaps a little like the endless Beth Orton remixes. But not shit. No really.

I want to go to sleep to this album, not because it’s bad, but because it takes you to that place almost immediately, and gives you a bizarre feeling of elation that has been missing for me in my music listening recently. It could just be a case of the right music at the right time in my life, (If you must know I was very fond of some pretty sad gear in the early nineties. None of which I choose to reveal at this point in time.) but it encapsulates a mood in such a definite way that it takes you to that place and despite yourself, you are happy to luxuriate in it.

Even within the constraints of the album itself, it travels widely in style, and the chordy circa ‘00 Air stylings of Higher Higher sit well alongside Alpine Way, a laid back acoustic affair.

Perhaps a little slower than many albums, but a masterpiece to listen to. If you’re a goth kiddie, you’re going to adore this album, and if you’re not you’re going to go out and look for purple hair dye and black wallpaper samples. It’s a very sexy album, and you should seek out the opportunity to own it. It is one of the best albums that I’ve had the pleasure to listen to for a long time.

This album is excellent and I highly recommend you give it a good solid listen.

Track Listing:

01-Heidi's Theme
02-Somersault
03-Snowflake
04-Rough Sex
05-Carillion
06-Music Box
07-More Than Scarlet
08-The Siesta Inn
09-You're Hot
10-Higher Higher
11-Alpine Way
12-Naked Snow
13-Electrocution (Hydro Mix)
14-Heidi's Theme (Reprise)
15-Somersault (Score)