Oxford has a proud history of periodically throwing up musical gems for the mainstream to embrace in its fickle bosom. Ride, Supergrass, Foals, Radiohead; we’ve had some gudd’uns. Now Stornoway seem set to join that illustrious list, if their undoubted talent and the BBC’s benevolent gaze are anything to go by.
With such successes to pat ourselves on the back for, it’s easy to overlook Oxford’s diverse and vibrant musical subcultures. Andy Cartwright and his Seabuckthorn project is a torchbearer for the style of instrumental, guitar-lead composition that is fast becoming a local speciality, centred round the Bucks-based label Dead Pilot Records (home to the likes of the brilliant Message To Bears). Distant Summer Storm, Seabuckthorn’s fourth release, sees Cartwright widening his horizons from previous outings. While the influence of twisted folk Americana is still evident, the scope and range of this album is altogether more ambitious and experimental.
It’s the sheer diversity of Cartwright’s songwriting capabilities that really impresses on Distant Summer Storm. Opener Galloping Into Thin Air throws us into a melee of clattering guitars and gunshot snares, giving way to a beautifully harsh sea of resonant synth and pensive fingerpicking; it almost sounds like Yorke et al.’s Bodysnatchers in parts, and that’s no lame compliment. The title track is a tribal boiling pot of relentless congas, ruthless bass pulses and wailing strings, climaxing in waves of frantic chimes and echoing flutes that conjure up vivid images of the unforgiving beauty of the African savannah. It really is a standout moment on an album riddled with highlights.
Next, Cartwright moves from the savannah to the buffalo plains, with Somersault of Thought and Between Dreams neatly showcasing Seabuckthorn’s Americana influence; neither song would sound out of place as the soundtrack to a Wild West showdown. Not content to rest in the comfort of familiarity, Cartwright begins a delicate exploration of the boundaries of electronica in the second half of the album. After a brief sojourn into ambient territory with the flowing synth soundscape of (Untitled) come two tracks that owe more to the early work of Four Tet than the American West. Cartright has the wonderful and rare ability to paint vivid and powerful pictures with sound; at times listening to this album feels almost like watching a film without the pictures. Don’t expect to see Seabuckthorn following Stornoway to the BBC hot-tip lists any time soon; but this is one for Oxford to treasure nonetheless.