MEMORIALS - All Clouds Bring Not Rain

Verity Susman (Electrelane) and Matthew Simms (It Hugs Back, Wire) tackle with style and wit the second chapter in the normalization of the Memorials project, which was originally conceived as a minimal ensemble for soundtracks built on psych-rock flights of fancy and electronic-lounge textures (the daring acrobatics of the three-part "Music For Films").

Misleading was the impression of being faced with a modern-day version of Broadcast, equally deceptive the idea of dismissing this new album as repetita iuvant of the previous "Memorial Waterslide".

Kraut-Rock, electronica, pop, post-rock, avant-noise, shoegaze, weird folk and jazz remain the basic building blocks of the duo's music, reinvigorated by a robust and at times destabilizing psychedelic streak and an overdose of sounds and instrumental alterations that at times recall not so much Neu! as the United States Of America.

A more clearly defined harmonic structure characterizes "All Clouds Bring Not Rain"; at the same time, Matthew Simms and Verity Susman weave into their neo-kosmische architecture blazing rock'n'roll-psychedelic sounds built on organ, tambourines and possessed riffs ("Dropped Down The Wall"), as well as raw hybrids of funk and synth-pop ("In The Weeds").

With the instrumental interludes of the previous album gone, Memorials master the song form with an intricate sonic structure, showcasing intriguing tonal details, from vibraphone tones to harpsichord reverbs, while oblique rhythmic strategies fragment the duo's otherwise solid wall of sound, letting the voices frequently take over with unexpected emotional surges.

The album's opening calling card is the magical folk-psych liturgy of "Life Could Be A Cloud", a caressing waltz-time ballad that the duo turns into a spiritual-boogie with electro-lounge contours; with "Cut Glass Hammer" the Stereolab–Broadcast inflections are skillfully underlined, yet the sound remains warm and enveloping despite the predominantly electronic fabric.

A clearer sign of digression comes with the folk madrigal of the dreamlike "I Can't See A Rainbow", built on voice, drum machine, guitar reverb and omnichord; of equal, understated beauty is "Reimagined River", offering a delicate interplay between the two musicians' voices and a piano that seems to slowly sink into the depths: an emotional fragility that the folk-pop minimalism of "Lemon Trees" and the lullaby of "Wildly Remote" wrap in a warm, whispered embrace.

In this alternation between moments of sonic rarefaction and gritty, daring tracks where a free-jazz attitude comes into play ("Holy Invisible"), Memorials wrestle with playful beat melodies ("Watching The Moon") and post-punk rhythms ("Bell Miner"). The essence of "All Clouds Bring Not Rain" isn't easy to sum up in a few words, but fortunately the music of Memorials offers a thoroughly convincing synthesis in the long, disorderly mixture of progressive, electronica, folk and free-jazz that is "Mediocre Demon", built on an unlikely bossa nova tempo that, along with the vocals, becomes the only element of harmonic coherence.

With this new album, the English duo not only confirms the excellent impressions made by their trio of soundtracks and by "Memorial Waterslide", but raises the bar even further, reconciling sharp songwriting with a sonic structure crafted down to the smallest detail, resulting in a musically deep and compelling work.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

15/04/2026