Search - Felt :: Poem of the River

Without an oar in sight.

Brent Black | , USA | 07/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is my favorite of the Felt mini albums. It is the first release in the second half of Lawrence's 10 albums in ten years plan & marks the continuation of the discernable shift which began with the wonderful Forever Breathes The Lonely Word LP, released a year earlier in 1986. If you're buying the Felt re-issues, this EP is #6. Like the rest, it comes in a thin cardboard jacket with minimal artwork & no liner notes, & which usually include only a single B&W picture of Lawrence on the interior gatefold. As an overall effect, I like what they have done with the packaging, although I tend to prefer the uniformity of a standard Jewel case for releases which I collect.



This EP is full & very well fleshed out instrumentally. Every track features vocals, & has a nice flow in the overall narrative of the set. As a mini album it is exceptionally ordered & paced, with just the right amount of musical exploration to keep you seated & listening. Like the other late releases, the songs featured are a nice hybrid of those constructed around Lawrence's breathy lyrical hooks, & the droning hypnotic jams of the early Eps which have evolved to become the closing sections of only particular songs. It is of reasonable length at 26:05, but devoid of filler. The keyboard playing of Martin Duffy is again prominent, & his collaboration continues to enhance the focus & clarity of the Felt sound.

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