Search - Stars of the Lid :: Gravitational Pull Vs. the Desisre for An Aquatic

Long, dry trips through the desert.

portis@roadrunner.nf.net | St. John's, NF, Canada | 01/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a big fan of Stars of the Lid. I rank them up there with the likes of earlier Tetsu Inoue and the atmospheric side of Steve Roach. STOL produce some of the most chilled, consistently excellent ambient and drone I have ever heard. Gravitational Pull reeks of drug induced summer afternoons, lazily shifting light tones and textures and incorporating very vague sounds. It is quite effective any time of day, as SOTL have obvious talent and this music serves as an excellent companion for bedtime or mid afternoons. As long as work is far far away and it's time for some relaxation or introspection. Considered an EP in some places, Gravitational Pull is a solid 51 minutes, and there's not a minute wasted. I'd name the highlights but all tracks are important and delightfully good. Start your Stars of the Lid collection here."

Liquid spaces and fertile places

William Wood | Sydney, New South Wales Australia | 10/12/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this on the advice of Portis,and what good advice it was.
Imagine the sounds of the creation of life on Earth,now slow the sounds down until one second becomes one hour,that's something like the sounds of this disc.
Imagine you are an alien visiting the earth.You travel inside a liquid bubble floating through this strange landscape,through air and water...each moment is so complicated and yet so simple.
Perhaps the universe is simply a cell within another universe and so on into infinity...and perhaps this is the sound of all the cells singing."

A solid introduction

Roger Fingas | Ottawa, ON, Canada | 12/27/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are two Stars of the Lid albums anyone interested in the group should start with as a primer - Tired Sounds, or this one. The title of the CD reflects the way the album plays out. The first two tracks, "The Better Angels of Our Nation" and "Cantus II," have a murky sound which implies gravity of the emotional kind. From "Jan. '69" onwards though the album develops a liberating psych-rock feel, which peaks in the rising guitars of "Be Little With Me." The overall effect is supremely calming. It makes me wonder why we don't hear SotL on the radio alongside Enya. On so-called New Age programs, anyway."