“The Season” is the opening track from a newly released compilation LP of early solo recordings of Polish-born, Glasgow-based musician Ela Orleans, called “Movies for Ears”.
Ela Orleans’ “Movies for Ears” started life in 2015 as a tour merchandise CD-R compilation of favourite early solo recordings. Four years on and the compilation has now been given an LP format release, re-mastered and complete with extensive sleeve notes.
The songs are often built on fairly minimal looped melodies and rhythms. Opening track “The Season” is one of the more conventional songs, combining guitars, drums, synths with Orlean’s melodic vocals to create a perfect art-pop miniature.
Also included in this collection is the sublime “Light At Dawn” one of two tracks from the 2012 “Tumult in Clouds” album. “Light at Dawn” was my perfect and breathtakingly beautiful introduction to the music of Ela Orleans via a BBC 6Music radio show guest selection by Stephen McRobbie of The Pastels (who also contributes to the album notes).
Later tracks in this approximately chronological collection sometimes combine samples from what may be old show-tunes or obscure early pop records, along with Orleans’ own music and vocals, creating experimental woozy lo-fi orchestral odd-pop magic, not tethered to any particular time or place.
“Movies for Ears” works as a pre-history of the artist, as Orleans develops her signature sound, leading up to her most recent double concept album “Circles of Upper Hell”. But it also stands on its own as brilliant collection of ephemeral sounds woven together and represented in elliptical and fascinating songs, ripe for the listener’s imagination to explore.
“Movies for Ears” has just been released on Glasgow label Night School Records. The LP version is likely to sell out soon from the Night School bandcamp, but if you miss out there you may still find a mail-order copy at Monorail Records or Norman Records.
Pop Lib 