{"id":2474,"date":"2017-04-19T13:30:08","date_gmt":"2017-04-19T13:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/review-the-physics-house-band-mercury-fountain\/"},"modified":"2018-12-21T12:51:51","modified_gmt":"2018-12-21T12:51:51","slug":"review-the-physics-house-band-mercury-fountain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/review-the-physics-house-band-mercury-fountain\/","title":{"rendered":"Review:\u00a0The Physics House Band –\u00a0Mercury Fountain"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Despite their prominent roots in progressive rock, Brighton\u2019s The Physics House Band<\/b> are difficult to put into one box. This has given them great versatility \u2013 they\u2019ve supported everyone from Alt-J to Mono. Their second release, mini-album \u2018Mercury Fountain\u2019<\/i> combines psychedelia with styles as disparate as jazz and metal with aplomb, switching between atmospheric keys and heavy riffs at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n

Despite the sonic differences between tracks, \u2018Mercury Fountain\u2019<\/i> feels more than a complete suite than a collection of songs. A slightly uneasy, psychedelic atmosphere is omnipresent throughout, which makes for an immersive experience. For example, ‘Obidant\u2019<\/i>, one of the heavier tracks, follows directly from the airy ‘A Thousand Small Spaces\u2019<\/i>, which is a beautifully understated combination of atmospheric keys and light guitar-work.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Much of ‘Mercury Fountain\u2019<\/i> is a technical spectacle, but the more understated tracks highlight a side of the band that\u2019s less concerned with technicality. ‘Holy Caves\u2019<\/i> dedicates itself to creating an almost ambient atmosphere, and ‘Astral Wave\u2019<\/i> strives for beauty rather than complexity. It\u2019s a real standout that proves TPHB<\/b> are more three-dimensional than they seem.<\/p>\n

The latter half of the album flirts with ’70s prog-rock, with flutes and saxophones galore, but impressively never sounds dated. ‘Impolex\u2019<\/i> is a particular highlight of this, due to its fantastic drumming, seamlessly combining some of the more zany, prog-infused elements alongside TPHB<\/b>\u2019s heavier tendencies, seen earlier on songs such as ‘Obidant\u2019<\/i> and ‘Surrogate Head\u2019<\/i>. The closer, ‘Mobius Strip II\u2019<\/i>, fully commits to ridiculousness, ostensibly ending with a saxophone passage but then fading out with some guitar feedback.<\/p>\n

‘Mercury Fountain\u2019<\/i> combines many ideas without ever sounding disjointed \u2013 in fact, this 30-minute odyssey is more of a complete package than a lot of full-length albums. And more than this, it\u2019s simply a delight to listen to.<\/p>\n

4\/5<\/p>\n

‘Mercury Fountain\u2019<\/i> by The Physics House Band<\/b> is released on 21st April on Small Pond Records<\/b>.<\/p>\n

The Physics House Band<\/b> links: Facebook<\/a> | Twitter<\/a> | Bandcamp<\/a><\/p>\n

Words by Alan Cunningham (@funeral_polis<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Despite their prominent roots in progressive rock, Brighton\u2019s The Physics House Band are difficult to put into one box. This has given them great versatility \u2013 they\u2019ve supported everyone from Alt-J to Mono. Their second release, mini-album \u2018Mercury Fountain\u2019 combines psychedelia with styles as disparate as jazz and metal with aplomb, switching between atmospheric keys […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":74657,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[1933,1923],"class_list":["post-2474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-album-reviews","tag-mercury-fountain","tag-the-physics-house-band"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nReview:\u00a0The Physics House Band -\u00a0Mercury Fountain - Already Heard Staging<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Despite their prominent roots in progressive rock, Brighton\u2019s The Physics House Band are difficult to put into one box. 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