Bell Gardens – Slow Dawns For Lost Conclusions

Following 2007’s minimalist monument And Their Refinement of the Decline, ambient-drone duo Stars of the Lid parted company and formed new musical pairings – Adam Wiltzie with A Winged Victory for the Sullen and Brian McBride with Bell Gardens. Now, by curious calendrical coincidence, both projects return with second albums within weeks of each other, making October a windfall month for fans of elegantly sedate soundscapes.

Unfortunately for McBride, the scheduling quirk does Slow Dawns… few favours, with his second collaboration with Kenneth James Gibson coming off badly in any head-to-head comparison with Wiltzie's Atomos: less inspired, less enriching, just less. But contemplated per se, the album’s qualities become clearer: opener Darker Side of Sunshine conveys a rich, hymnal beauty built from layers of pedal steel, piano and softly sighed vocals, while the slowburn simplicity of Sail is subtly impactful. Too safe to truly enthral, Slow Dawns… nevertheless finds moments of enlightenment. [Chris Buckle]