THIS JUST MAKES MY HEART
12/20/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"With definite echoes of Yo La Tengo, Illuminations is the record you SHOULD go to sleep to and it's the best to wake up to. Who else writes a song about director Edward D Wood Jnr (Unfair Kind of Fame). This album is the best to come out of Scotland for ages. It also makes one feel depressed without a special someone in their lives. It's best listened to when thinking of loved ones."
Great music from unexpected corners.
01/07/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Illumination is a work of beauty. It is the sound of people dedicated to their art and it is a progression in the pastels sound without having to compromise their original concepts. On the surface the intricate and delicate melodies and chords create a gentle, docile sound but on ' the hits hurt ' and on ' rough riders ' the pastels prove they can rock. Electronic music and jazz have played a part in creating this statement which shows that the pastels can play their instruments but they maintain their amateur enthusiasm for their music. Katrina's sonf' the viaduct ' is a song which can bring many people to tears. The pastels and Illumination are best seen live. the new remix album, Illuminati, is excellent. It contains remixes by Make - Up, Mouse on Mars, Jim o' Rouke but the best remix is of 'the viaduct' by Bill Wells."
Brilliant pop nostalgia
05/25/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"calm, soothing, comforting. listening to this just now put me back in the womb of the dreamy days or 80's brit pop. my friend said it was depressing to him, but not to me. it put me inside an atmosphere that felt familiar -- but most definitely not a depressing one. the vocals, the music...it's all so lovely!"