Back in the hazy days of June we had a Quick Take with Eliza Delf and the Feast album. We finally return for a slightly deeper dive. Make room for candlight despair.

Release Date: Available now

Label: Independent

Format: CD / digital

ONIONS? LAYERS…..

So yes – a ‘quick take’ that turned into a deeper dive with an artist and album that, much like Shrek’s onion analogy (…layers…) reveals more with further unpeeling / investigation. Feast was one of those albums where the hooks lay not only in lush melodies or ear worm singalong choruses, but in the intrigue and occasional WTF moments (musically or lyrically) that commanded further attention.

Backed by the trio of Jacob Browne (guitar and bass), Eva Wright (cello), and Tim Skinner (drums and percussion), the Gothic carnival noir seems to take on a darker, sometimes sinister tone having had the chance to bed in. Sometimes off the map but always skirting around the edge; pirouetting around an empty room – heaven forbid, as Eliza does much more elegantly in the opening Look At Me. A wise choice of an opening gambit that in time, with its testing time signatures, could be her ‘Stairway’ signature track.

A PLEASING UNPREDICTABILITY

Having read of the inspiration and influence of Kate Bush on her musical development (there’s a Why I Love feature to take in), it’s hard to shake off that spirit as Eliza tickles the higher registers in Uncanny. Dancing in and out of the percussion parts and changes in musical direction with a pleasing unpredictability, Merry-Go-Round may contritely not follow a familiar roundabout template, settling for a quirky combo of spoken word and joyous squeals akin to the carousel set against a jerking string tempo.

Like the core skills of dodgeball, the vocals duck, dip, dive and dodge; swooping and sweeping, soothing and yelping. “Look past the carnage, I’m so fun like this,” even has a slightly unhinged (in the best possible taste) and contrary Punk delivery that again, once noticed, crops up or regular occasions, in a controlled tirade. A little bit scary or unpredictable – you’re not quite sure if to venture too close in case you’ll be licked or bitten. Switching to a more soothing mode, the Chamber elements via the rich tones of cello contrast with more stripped back arrangement of The Trick, that finds Eliza ruminating on “the oldest trick in the holy book.”

CASTING OUT RIPPLES

The oily psychedelic waters we sensed are still casting out their ripples. Extending into the shuffling rap of Twine that cavorts wildly and could so easily be reworked into all manner of 12″ single mixes, extended dance mixes, so on, so forth.

Lyrically bold, the likes of Common Law, accompanied initially by a lo-fi busk, there’s a real ‘live’ quality about the production before the richness of the strings adds a smoothness that contrasts with the bite in some of the lyrics.

The simple acoustic picking gives Barefoot In The Ashes a touching melancholy, scripted by one with experience of how “memories taste sweet until they hurt” and given a rustic arrangement. The spotlight falls on the insightful lyrics where the repetition stresses the key phrase. And did we mention The Smiths and the sense of the maudlin on Don’t Love Me Lightly? There’s certainly a Mancunian swing (nothing of course, to do with the opening phrase …”Blue Monday…“)

LYRICAL PRECISION

The lyrical care and precision reaches a peak in Sweet Somethings. Again, layers are at work and the opportunity to dive into the deep end and indulge in some dissection and meanings – without getting too psychoanalytical – is an experience enhancing opportunity. A connection springs to mind with one of our musical heroes, Rosalie Cunningham, whose themes follow more psychedelic and heavier rock channels, whilst containing our favourite line on the album and another one with a slightly sinister tint- “I’m a woman in the attic, Prophetic and dramatic.”

A sumptuous album – one that does what the title boldly declares – and although remaining unused, the verb ‘cavorting’ is one that should truly find its way into any review of Feast.

And a reminder to check out Eliza’s Why I Love feature on Kate Bush that reveals further…erm…layers…

Here’s current go to track, Threshold:

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