Four Quartets | The Paragon of Animals

Four Quartets a vehicle for Rob Sharples a talented multi-instrumentalist from Bristol in England release  - The Paragon of Animals – a fourteen track album on 7th March 2011 in hard copy, it is already available in digital format.

Four Quartets | The Paragon of Animals

Four Quartets | The Paragon of Animals

Opening with Whitewash, a useful opener to the album, as Rob, creates a flowing melodic scape, with some ingenious instrumentation and chord breaks, that ensure an interest for the listener.

Pirouette, continues the thread tidily, the output drawing influences from  ’70s psychedelia. Switching between mystical guitar to plaintive vocal reverberating against a rolling drum-set.


Pirouette by Four Quartets

Another 6/8, takes a more demanding route, as off-set instrumentation meets the distinctive vocal, creating a disconcerting sense of imbalance. Well handled and delivered.

Track four – Joke’s Over has Sharples delivering a superbly crafted piece of work. It may not resonate with my ears naturally, as I am sure Simon and Garfunkel is in there somewhere. But my personal tastes are not on review here.  great piece of vocal and instrumental synergy.

Light Bulb, is a track I particularly enjoy, as raced strumming are balanced against a slow and atmospheric layer of sound, whilst soaring vocal spikes above the cushion.

Heading back to the signature sound of the release – The Hoax affords Four Quartet the opportunity to demonstrate multi-instrumentation that should by rights not work, but it all fits together like a jigsaw.

A Long Way Down, is a quieter track which showcases the vocal and string virtuosity of Sharples.

When ever I see a track over over 5 minutes in length and in this case almost 6 minutes, my heart fills with dread, A Parting of the Ways however fills the space not with flotsam, rather a powerful and highly charged material, a well structured and delivered piece of music.

I thought we were off for a flamenco as Spanish guitars open The Spirit Level, uplifting and more than able top stand on its own.

Tilting at the Windmills brings the pace back down, with some considerable panache. These two tracks running side by side are a great underscore to the capabilities of Rob Sharples, not only as a lyricists, vocalist and musician, but as a dexterous and highly competent arranger.

Magpie flows easily within the context of the album, this time keyboard take to the fore.

Death of a Salesman takes us back to the sharp strumming and vulnerable vocal, which marks out Four Quartets as a highly effective and emotive entity.

Statues, which has the tonality of the opening of Whitewash, the album is another well delivered composition.

Concluding with The Drowned and The Saved,  its strident beat and keyboard lead is a well delivered close to the album.

A well constructed album, with a strong signature sound, The Paragon of Animals is a strong testament to Four Quartets.

Currently available on The Paragon of Animals - Four Quartets*

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