He Ain't Heavy

Rip It Up, Issue 243, 1 November 1997, Page 8

He Ain't Heavy

The strength of David Kilgour’s music lies in his judgment — his knowledge of when to leave a song as a sub-two minute bookend, or when to drive it hard beyond what the listener is mentally prepared for and take it to that hypnotic stage when everything is moving forward at the same high speed, when it would appear that the bandmaster needs some sort of giant musical lasso to pull it back to its conclusion. His new album, David Kilgourand the Heavy Eights, takes it one step further. There are songs that may have started as one of Kilgour’s trademark brittle daydream pieces — short, sweet, haunting melodies of esoteric, yet loaded meaning — yet they have been fleshed out on this album, given life, become swelling and symphonic. “I haven’t had many comments to suggest it’s different in any way from the others. Comments have been good though. I go into the studio very much with an idea of how I want the songs to end up. Of course there is some transition that goes on, there is some evolution process the songs go through. The whole recording is an evolutionary process. Often the hardest thing is to keeping the song restrained, keeping it within boundaries that are right for the record.” While the songs on the album drive, it’s driving in a well-tuned RoverVß, rather than a sporty little coupe. They glide through space without effort. Take the example of ‘Off My Mind’, where a Pacific feel drifts through an undercurrent of various ideas. Or ‘Seemingly

i Stranded’, that floats in a dreamlike state but . ; still has a drum beat that could, if allowed, go i on forever. Yet the moment most perfect is near ; the end of ‘Chop Me In Half, when one stray i guitar line winds its way through the end of the ; song, darting in and out of the silence when the ; rhythm dies — timed perfectly, the symmetry of : the song is incredible. “Yeah, that’s one of my favourite parts too,” \ says Kilgour. It’s not a great day for ; superlatives. The Kilgour sound was once synonymous ; with the Clean sound, but with Heavy Eights i there appears to be a definite shift somewhere. i The origins can be heard on Kilgour’s previous ; solo albums, Sugar Mouth and Here Come the ; Cars, but this novelty is heard here clearer than i ever. “The recording process for the Clean is : totally different. A lot of it is done in the studio, ; and of course it’s collaborative so the sound is ■■ going to be different.” Kilgour has recently returned from touring i the States, playing a bill with Yo La Tengo. As i per usual with his forays into America, Kilgour i found at every gig at least one punter shouting ; out for ‘Tally Ho’ or ‘Getting Older’. But rather i than find annoyance with these people harking ; back to previous days, Kilgour has no problem : with it. “It’s good to know people are still interested. \ There’s so much support over there, it’s i fantastic really. And if they’re into the Clean i perhaps it’ll help me sell one more record.”

JESSE GARON