Cyann & Ben : Sweet Beliefs
Cyann and Ben like to take things a bit slowly, only to slow them down even more. Lush, atmospheric, tranquil and Parisian, they’re the sort of musicians who incorporate a more droning Gallic dynamic more so than the decadent freewheeling and sugary aura of their geographical musical peers. While mostly consisting of post rock-ish instrumental redundancies, Cyann and Ben can be a tad bit yawn-inducing at times and luminously dreamy at others.
The farrago cluster from the opener “Words” segues into “Sunny Morning” which is parallel to the consistency of a soufflé, being that it is so light, fluffy and flavorful. The guitars move in a rather spidery cortege, while the organs gently slither along the elastic melodies. Sometimes, though, the tracks can dribble along, but when they do, they more closely evoke the ethereal semblance of Sigúr Rós that almost leaves the listener waiting to hear Jon-Thor Birgisson to throw down his falsetto.
When Cyann and Ben do execute a solid chemistry however, the tracks scintillate like purple amethyst crystals in a geode. The angelic droning gives the illusion that one is lost in a spooky cavern, such as the empyrean loftiness of the title track, the breezy “In Union With…” and the deepwater dawdling in “Sparks of Love.”
Cyann’s voice is like a minutely grainy sheet of spun silk and really does saturate into the band’s penchant for a vibe of that specific, druggy cinematic atmosphere that only the French can pull off. But if patience isn’t one of your virtues, then Sweet Beliefs is not for you, and could leave some waiting for the timer on their CD player to end like you did during your last period 8th grade algebra class.
Similar Albums:
Tortoise – Standards
To Rocco Rot – The Amateur View
Fridge – Semaphore