Ellington

Gravenhurst — "Fires in Distant Buildings" The Bristol-born Gravenhurst release their third full-length album, showing a dramatic departure from the neo-folk-infused sounds of their earlier work. The acoustic guitar sounds, which predominated on "Flashlight Seasons," are placed in the background and in intermediate contexts as Gravenhurst crank up the amps and let the electric guitar shine through. Nick Talbot's vocals, which have been compared to that of Nick Drake or Jim Moray, sound more like former Pale Saints front man Ian Masters on this release, especially in the thought-provoking and chilling "The Velvet Cell." Warp Records did themselves a great service when they signed Gravenhurst. Gravenhurst have, in turn, given us one of the most original and urgent releases of the year. A best-of contender for the year—most definitely!