Quest For Fire – Lights From Paradise

 

Opening with the unapologetic pace of The Greatest Hits By God – any more slower and we’ll be going back in time – which growls with big-lick guitars and fat-tom drums, add some shimmering violin to the mix - courtesy of Sophie Trudeau of Thee Silver Mt. Zion - and the results are nothing short of bliss-out splendour.

Chad Ross’s distinctive vocals evoke the memory of Kurt Cobain, drawing out his words with a hushed confidence, and on Set Out Alone, revelling in close harmony. Although predominantly wrapped in layers of swirling guitars and ambient texture Quest For Fire are far from a one-trick pony with Strange Vacation’s garage-pop leanings bringing the melody to the forefront and Psychic Seasons dreamy-folk – in the vein of classic 4ad stalwarts Belly – demonstrating the band are more than capable of relaxing their distortion pedals. At times the drones can prove incessant but there’s enough flickers of greatness on Lights From Paradise to see it through in fiery glory. [Alan Souter]