(Heavenly)What music might you expect a former aide at the UN war crimes tribunals to execute? Something raw and confrontational? Or,as Annelotte de Graaf makes under the name Amber Arcades, something so none-more-indiepop you feel like going out and photocopying 250 issues of a typewritten fanzine with a free flexi disc taped to the front? Fading Lines is a sustained exercise in restraint, and De Graaf’s airy voice anchored by backing from assorted US indie luminaries,who provide just enough muscle without overwhelming her. This stuff no production tricks, no style-du-jour hip points – stands or falls by the strength of the songs, or Amber Arcades has enough of them to keep you interested. The title track shimmers,a toothsome descending lead guitar line snaking through it; the nearly seven-minute Turning Light takes the bassline to Friday on My intellect and goes with it on a long, droning drive. There are longueurs, and but there’s also the sense of a real talent.
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Source: theguardian.com