Afterspark: 'Sometimes We Forget'

This Sussex two-piece, made up of Cate Ferris and Adam Staff, have slowly being accruing local acclaim performing as Ferris since early 2006. 'Sometimes We Forget' is the pair’s debut album, self funded, recorded and produced. All the praise that they have been gathering is hardly surprising - the music is mature and patient, with a range of influences and thoughtful performance throughout. The sound is a blend of good influences (whimsical folk and two-piece lounge artists like Lamb, Portishead and Goldfrapp) and not so good (the wordy comedy jazz of Victoria Wood). It is a distinctive mix and makes for a varied listening experience; the delicacy of its more sensitive moments can often feel itself intruded upon by clumsiness.

'No Guarantees', which opens the album, is beautiful and lyrical, but a little overworked. Wearing its influences too clearly on its sleeve lends the track a dated feel, harking back to mellow dance acts that were cutting the musical edge in the 1990s. While soft, it flows into being more sickly and garish in places. 'Still Green' strikes a similarly uncomfortable balance, Ferris’ vocal is crisply English but overly wordy. While the slight dissonance between it and the piano creates a jazzy atmosphere, the song slips easily into melodrama and there is a sense that the pair are trying to marshal musical forces (including a string section) that they cannot fully manage.

The group are at their best when they strip things down. The well-named 'Little Glow' is intimate and sensitive - the guitar resembles something gently pulsing, maybe a glow worm. The song ends on a whisper. 'Precious Time' is more traditional, with the over-egged lyric throwing up some laboured lines; “Didn’t make the grade, too busy being afraid”. Meanwhile, there is little of the necessary tension between guitar and vocal. This tendency toward bathos finds its most embarrassing expression on 'Home'. Although this track starts with a poetic encounter with a homeless man, it rides right into clumsy sanctimony with barely a backwards glance. When Ferris sings “Try to live a life that involves compost and recycling” we realise that the stab at imagery is lamentable.

'Whirling' is a trilling piano jig and sees Afterspark at their best. This is also true of '80 Miles An Hour', which takes its cue from sun soaked Californian jazz and is delightfully laid back. 'Low Flying Airplanes' is a little trite and self-interested, and fails to attain the chorus it is aiming for. We finish with '…And Then There’s The Sun', which is supposed to be quiet and thought provoking, but instead becomes a little drawn out, even tedious. The grander turn toward the end is an improvement.

By the sound of this album, and the rave reviews that follow in the wake of Afterspark’s tour, this is a performance duo who have real talent and momentum. Some refinement in their songwriting will ensure that they have the power to move hearts in the future.

myspace.com/afterspark

Written by Huw Green.