TREMBLING BLUE STARS - Broken By Whispers
Subpop
Generally eschewing both melodramatic depression and vaguely hopeful melancholy, former Field Mice leader Robert Wratten's Trembling Blue Stars sing songs of sadness and coping - neither hopeful nor hopeless, but suspended in disbelief. On almost every song, Wratten sounds like he's holding back something, creating an emotional tension that is strangely inviting. Musically, the Stars are a slight update on the Mice, sometimes coming off like a perpetually crestfallen Aztec Camera. Spartan arrangements with acoustic guitars, quietly busy basslines and light percussion support simple melodies and Wratten's plaintive ordinary guy voice. With such basic tunes, Wratten is the key component, since it's easy to identify with the unlucky yob lamenting love lost. Moreover, the simple addition of a cello ('I No Longer Know Anything'), a spartan electric guitar riff (the best tune, 'Fragile'), or a New Order-if-they-weren't-danceable beat ('To Leave It Now') has a relatively great impact on the tunes. Annemari Davies, former Field Mice member, ex-girlfriend and the source of a lot of Wratten's sadness, is practically a full time TBSer, and her gentle backing vocals provide a welcome light touch to the morose proceedings. A few songs are utterly indistinct, and this disc is only for certain moods, but the best tracks uncover a unique facet of the pitfalls of romance.
MIKE BENNETT (6.5)
[Fresh Ears Review]
Driving in to work I'm listening to the soft voice of Trembling Blue Stars' Robert Wratten and hearing delicate acoustic tales of longing. Staring into the middle distance ahead I almost lose control of the machine on more than one occasion. It's that kind of record. Nothing so weird in another loser's tale of not getting his lady, you'll be saying to yourself. Ah, but then you'd be wrong. The object of Robert's affections - his ex band mate Annemari - must be someone pretty special as Wratten has so far written three albums worth of material about their break-up. The odd sting in this tale is that moments into 'Sometimes I Still Feel The Bruise', one of many fine cuts here, Annemari drifts in singing on a song he wrote about her. This carries on throughout, her sweet voice elegantly complimenting his simple delivery. It all makes for some captivating and intriguing listening. You can't help wondering what the two of them make of this. This is not an album of woeful despondency either. There are times when the listener is startled alert with some noisy but melodic guitar and the arrangements throughout train your ear to delve deeper into the songs. There is subtle humor in here too. It's a record I shall be returning to again and again as I clock up the miles, and wouldn't you know, there is a happy ending to all of this. Seems that through their work on the record Annemari and Robert are apparently patching things up again. I think the word here is 'redemption', folks. A glorious word indeed.
TONY DAGNALL (9)
[Fresh Ears Review]
Trembling Blue Stars is the name under which one Robert Wratten releases his solo musical efforts. Wratten was one of the two key songwriters for Britain's Field Mice, who pioneered the quiet folk-pop sound that has brought such success to bands like Belle And Sebastian. Saint Etienne had a hit with a dance version of the Field Mice' 'Kiss And Make Up' and now BROKEN BY WHISPERS is produced by that band's collaborator, Ian Catt. With a pedigree like this, one might expect a set of buoyant pop, but Wratten has produced a quiet, lethargic, depressing set of songs. While the recording quality and the arrangements lend the album a pristine sound, the songs themselves are a disappointment. The melodies are generally washed-out and predictable (one exception is the pretty 'Birthday Girl') and the songs come in two tempos: slow and dirge. Nick Drake's music sounds peppy by comparison. Wratten's thin and limited voice adds to the overall sense of dreariness. When he adds a female vocal on 'Dark Eyes', he produces the album's most attractive cut. Clearly, this is someone who would benefit from more collaboration, preferably with someone a little more upbeat. No more Thorazine for this man!
BRIAN O'CONNOR (3)