Coloured Clocks aka James Wallace is back with a new album entitled Castle. It’s a big one at thirteen songs. Wallace mentions some of his influences, like Van Morrison, Tame Impala, Blood Orange, Toro Y Moi, Van She and Queen, some of which I certainly heard in the music.
The album begins with “In the Castle” which starts with a somber sentiment. Wallace sings “there’s an emptiness you get from living in the world alone.” It’s quite a statement to start with but hits you right in the heart. A beat emerges along with piano and bass. It’s a great sounding groove and I thought the vocals were well delivered.
The energy increases with the synth heavy song “Universe.” In a single word I would describe this song as sounding vibrant. Wallace sings “You would never leave me my darling” but sounds like he might have some serious doubts.
“Flightless Tigers” contains a similar type of energy. Tame Impala certainly came to mind on this song. The mix of psychedelic qualities and bass heavy grooves gives the song an infectious energy.
As the album continues Wallace does an excellent job of infusing his signature sound into the songs. That being said I did think there were a number of highlights along the way. “Only Lonely” is one of the bangers. The groove is killer but it’s the vocal melody that really stuck with this song. I also realized who I thought he sounded like but couldn’t quite pinpoint it. To my ears he sounds like Dan Bejar from Destroyer.
“Not Alright” is a more intimate ballad and felt like it was a much needed song for this place in the album. The centerpiece of the album seemed to be “Castleworld.” It’s almost eight minutes long. The song is all over the place in a cool way. There are some typical grooves but the song goes into areas I was not expecting. Take for instance the section where it sounds like a field recording of church bells. It’s a song you really have to experience to fully grasp.
“Set In Stone” is an epic one. The song is filled to the brim with sounds yet the mix sounds wide. This is a song that deserves to be played loud. I also thought the closer “Von” was a standout which mixes a good amount of melancholy with gratitude.
Wallace is in full form here. His experience makes the songs feel confident and I thought this was a very good album from beginning to end.
Heather Savage