Montreal’s instrumental Bell Orchestre is still best known for its connection to that city’s biggest band, Arcade Fire (QRO live review): they share two members (bassist Richard Parry & violinist Sarah Neufeld, as well as touring Arcade horn player Pietro Amato), opened for Arcade Fire when that band was blowing up in 2005, and recorded their debut, Recording a Tape the Colour of Light, in the same studio, at the same time, as when/where Arcade Fire made their breakthrough Funeral. Given Bell Orchestre’s instrumental nature, and the long time between 2005’s Colour and their current follow-up, As Seen Through Windows, many might write off the group as some ‘instrumental side-project by a few (non-front) people in Arcade Fire’. But the band existed before and outside of the Arcade, and while that group’s success may have delayed Windows, the record stands on its own as some solid instrumental music.
While the growing, grand introductory opener, “Stripes”, gets post-rock-ish at times, Windows is definitely an instrumental record drawing from the classical side of things. But what’s most interesting is how jazz-influenced it is, more so than Colour, without slipping into ‘smooth jazz’ slumber. Instead, Bell Orchestre infuse those jazz elements with a press that keeps the cool while building the music’s strength. This is most effective in the middle of the record, on pieces such as “Bucephalus Bouncing Ball”, the title track, and “The Gaze”, as each retain an indie flavor thanks to other added aspects, like the strings on “Bucephalus”, the Casio keys on “Windows”, or the ‘big band on the run’ nature to “The Gaze”.
The start and finish to Windows do suffer somewhat. The horn jazz-strong “Elephants” loses something when the percussion takes over, and the following “Icicles/Bicycles” and “Water/Light/Shifts” play it a bit too minimalist at times, especially the organ/xylophone latter. Meanwhile, near the end, Bell Orchestre’s instrumentals hew a little towards the classic Disney instrumentals (think Fantasia, not Lion King) on “Dark Lights” and “Air Lines/Land Lines”, which is nice and appealing, but lacking in grip, though finisher “Lines” does get bigger and more carrying at its end.
Arcade Fire’s success may have eclipsed and delayed Bell Orchestre, but As Seen Through Windows certainly puts the band on its own footing (Arcade Fire being in semi-seclusion since concluding their massive touring for Neon Bible – – at New York’s Randall’s Island – – in October ’07 helps, too…). Not a spin-off, Windows is designed for lovers of more classically constructed instrumental music, and achieves its goal.
MP3 Stream: “The Gaze”
– Michelle Moretti
[email protected]
