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This is their third album but the first to be recorded in their studio in Bloomsbury. With inspirations as diverse as “Alice Coltrane to The Kinks, Brian Wilson to Ronnie Lane, Charles Stepney to The Mizzell Brothers”, at one extreme there’s something for everyone and at the other, The Superimposers have created their own world of wonderful sound.

I wasn’t too sure about the more Beach Boys, Kinks, Small Faces start to the album as it was too sugary sweet. But then, none of this album gets into a thick goo of molasses as they experiment with a variety of instruments like vibraphones, Rhodes, harps and omnichord (a kidney shaped synth!) making this is a rich lo-fi acoustica. On first hearing, I was drawn to the tracks where they’ve used samples from soundtrack and movie scores award winner Lee Holdridge. A cross between Daedelus’ in his Equisite Corpse, the spirit of Lee Hazelhurst and the harp Alice Coltrane (RIP).

For me the album really starts with the harmonies of ‘Autumn Falls’ but it’s the harp on ‘Hand Me Down’ that gets me swaying from side to side; summer hit me thinks.

Back in 2004, their ‘Would It Be Impossible’ was the opening track to the first Secret Love compiled by Jazzanova and the album ends on another likely candidate for the next edition as it’s a lilting flutey folk number called ‘Twilight’. Not surprisingly, that old(ish) hippy Rob da Bank (Radio 1’s/Bestival/Sunday Best) is a fan of The Superimposers.

This album is the Rough Trade album of the week and is the featured artist in this month’s ‘Rough Trade Album Club’. And to celebrate, The Superimposers will be doing a live in-store gig at Rough Trade East (off Brick Lane) on January 23rd at 7pm.

Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Holes In The Air’, ‘Twilight’, ‘Golden’, ‘Autumn Falls’, ‘Hand Me Downs’

Reviewed: The Superimposers — Harpsichord Treacle (Wonderfulsound) Cat. No: WCD001 Release date: January (Rough Trade) 11th February 2008
Notes: 5. contains sample of “Opheus Music” by Lee Holdridge © 1972
6. contains sample from “Strangers In The Night” by Manuel and the Music Of The Mountains
7. contains elements of “The Dream Of Olwen” written and composed by Williams.
Tracklisting:
1 Anymore (3:04)
2 The Northern Song (4:15)
3 Make It All Better (2:50)
4 Autumn Falls (3:45)
5 Golden (3:00)
6 All Your Memories (2:35)
7 Kicking Around (3:26)
8 Holes In The Air (4:01) with Marco Nelson (bass) and Martin Ruddock (guitar)
9 Hand Me Downs (3:58)
10 Special (4:08)
11 Twlight (3:27)

Links:
www.myspace.com/superimposers
www.wonderfulsound.com
www.leeholdridge.com
www.roughtrade.com