According to Shakespeare, there are seven ages of a man. Seven ages where each stage of life is illustrated as a revolutionary stage and transient nature of existence. So when you listen to Ralfe Band’s fourth studio album, “Achilles Was A Hound Dog”, you kind of get the feeling like it’s an exploration of life’s milestones, that correspond with Shakespeare’s folklore and is steeped in Greek mythology. It’s a remarkable album, a cosmic cycle of solitude in a crowded space of chaos, noir suspense, unpredictability, recovery and discovery. Majestically melancholic, with a sun blast of optimism, “Achilles Was A Hound Dog”, reflects from the darkest depths of its soul, whilst watching the light cascade through the Komorebi skies. An eclectic mix of genres, “Achilles Was A Hound Dog”, contains a fragile beauty that is rugged and vast, with rolling hills, steep slopes, secluded waters, exotic excursions, Jungarian jungles, that nestles in the nocturnal woods of the collective consciousness. It’s an album whose frequent escapades alternate between the subconscious and conscious, the linear and the non-linear, that drowns its demons in a seabed of sentiments.
Earthy and ethereal, “Achilles Was A Hound Dog”, is characterised by the raw and sensual vocals of Oly Ralfe, that exudes a vulnerability and authenticity likened to Jonathan Donahue, Syd Barrett, Dan Treacy, Lou Reed, Tom Verlaine and Nick Cave with the free-spirited spontaneity similar to Tim Booth and Wayne Coyne. He’s a charismatic frontman, an accomplished singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who wears his heart on his sleeve and his soul in a place that interconnects with the beauty, wonder and adventures of life. Along with the backing vocals of Emma Faulkner, “Achilles Was A Hound Dog”, evokes a haunting beauty that softens, illuminates and completely captivates, like a lingering guiding light. As a singer, Faulkner transcends an ethereal presence, that levitates and elevates the album towards an otherworldly plane.
Throughout this whole album, Ralfe climbs the highest mountains, overlooking a sultry sea-front, trampling on the heather, rummaging through the asphodel meadows, camping beneath the spectral stars, guided by supernatural sirens, close to the land of dreams. It’s an underworld of transitional states, meeting up with the archetypes for a few drinks and having a dance around the campfire. It’s an album that dreams with the mythological gods and is awakened by the inner voice of truth and reality.
Stylistically, the album is an eclectic mix of Orchestral pop, Baroque-pop, Neo-classicism, Neo-Jazz, Chamber-pop, Experimental rock, Art-Rock, Neo-psychedelica, Neo-folk, Alt-Country, Alt-blues, New Wave, Prog-folk, Dark Electronica, Ethereal-rock, Rockabilly, Gothabilly, Proto-punk and Post-Punk, and revisits the abstract milieu of music and adds a unique landscape of idiosyncratic blue hues and speckled sunshine. It’s music that lifts the bar, that revives the virtuoso roots of Americana, the cool breeze of New Wave, the laid back charm of a golden age, as well as contemporary innovation of post-punk. It’s an album which is so diverse that every track featured is standalone that intermixes in a grandiose of musicianship. It’s a stunning masterpiece, which provides a new found appreciation of poetic lyrics, that have been carved and crafted to create an interchangeable stream of emotions. Everything about this album is superb. It’s the ultimate singalong, foot-tapping album that enables you to get lost in your thoughts in a dreamy, imaginative and 3D world.
Pale Fire breezes into a Bacharach lounge of Orchestral pop, whilst floating into the realms of chamber-pop. It’s an enchanting track, that dreams in the darkness of light and awakens from the mystical murmurs of ethereal-pop. Through the tepid beats, jangly riffs, luminescent loops and piano tinkles, Pale Fire ignites the embers of neo-folk, that shines from the moonlit shadows of neo-classicism. Along with the wondrous vocals, Pale Fires ponders from the pensive portals of prog-folk, whilst sensing the starry-eyed symphonies of nostalgia.
Momentary Collapse saunters into the jangly pathways of post-punk, whilst sidewalking down the Televison-esque streets of 70s new wave. It’s a sombre affair, wandering into the liminal lounges of proto-punk whilst hungover by experimental excess of 60s art-rock.
Sirens is a free-wheeling fanfare of neo-jazz that dips its toes into the shallow depths of neo-blues. It’s a happy-go-lucky track, that day-trips to the sea front of Honky Tonk, whilst drifting towards the shores of neo-classicism. Through the zig-zag of riffs, piano tinkles, and eerie harmonies, Siren seduces the senses, whilst tugging with the reverie ropes of a sunken ship.
More Than Enough is a crestfallen catharsis that plunges into the murky depths of Orchestral-pop, whilst drifting towards the estuary embankments of neo-folk. Through the raw vocals, sombre strums, xylophonic splodges and runaway vocals, More Than Enough, lays bare its raw emotion, whilst sunbathing on the rocky shores of prog-folk.
Scissorlock is a sublime track that illuminates from the moonshine of Baroque-rock, that flickers from the chimerical clatter of Neo-folk. Through the sax splutters, oscillating cello, xylophonic tip-toes, reverie riffs and pitter-patter percussions, Scissorlock creates a sky burst of spontaneity, a star-storm of emotion that ingeniously resonates without a hint of vocals. It’s an abstract work of art, that connects the constellations of old-time jazz with the quick silver innovation and unpredictability of Avant Garde experimentation.
Ancients slithers in the underground tunnels of electronica, whilst juddering from the stellar synths and neolights of new wave. Along with the rumbling, primal beats, Ancients connects with the haunting heritage of synth-pop, whilst levitating with the apparitional ancestors of post-punk. It’s a translucent time traveller, that revives the relics of DIY post-punk and rewrites the rule book.
Achilles Was A Hound Dog does the tango with the translucent tones of post-punk, whilst surfing with new waves of garage-rock. It’s an exotic escapade, that head spins from the axial tilts, whilst being pulled from every direction. It’s a visceral vessel, drifting on the tumultuous tides of experimental rock, whilst navigating around the debris and flotsams washed ashore.
A Thousand Miles Away tinkers from the aloof island of post-punk, whilst sinking deep into the grainy sands of neo-folk. It’s a mesmerising tack, that pulsates from the heart of melancholy and spins in a vortex of acid jazz and neo-psychedelica, amidst the Farfisa fog, and haze of trumpets. Along with the slamming strums, delirious drones and thunderous throbs, A Thousand Miles Away, shelters in the dark caves of goth-rock, amongst the bats, sultry sirens and melting ice.
Octobermen Is a hauntingly beautiful track, that waltzes across the timezones of baroque rock. It’s a lucid dream that floats down the abandoned dance halls of neo-classicism, whilst colliding with the ghosts of its past. Through the translucent tinkles of the pensive piano, tepid beats and cascading cello, Octobermen elevates to the heavenly heights of ethereal-rock whilst peering down the spiral staircase.
Looking For Eureka is a nomadic navigation around the circumference of the sun, mapped by the moon, and guided by the stars. It’s a burst of neo-jazz, a majestic Mexicano wave of jubilant trumpets, plucky acoustics, tense-tempo beats and elongated harmonies that air-lift to recovery.
A Day a Week a Month a Year goes back to the basics of alt-country and ponders and tinkles from the campsites of neo-blues. It’s a mesmerising track that illuminates from the lanterns of neo-folk, amongst the fireflies, crepuscular creatures and celestial wonders of the sky.
Howl rumbles on the rickety road of rockabilly, whilst reviving on the crossroads of garage-rock. It’s a hybrid of Americana, that curves, cascades and jangles in the twilight of goth-rock and surf-rock, whilst exorcising the ghosts of its origins. It’s a spine-chiller that shakes, rattles and rolls amongst the hallucinogenic Hillbillies and prickly thorns of post-punk.
Ralfe Band musicians: Garo Nahoulakian on guitar and bass, Nick Fowler playing bass and guitar, and Mike Monaghan on drums. Friends of Oly Ralfe appear as special guests too, including drummer Seb Rochford (Polar Bear, Damon Albarn), double-bassist Ben Nicholls (Nadine Shah), cellist Gabriella Swallow (Richard Hawley), bassist Harry Deacon (Palace) and drummer Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey).
Released on 16th June 2023, through the record label Talitres, “Achilles Was A Hound Dog” is available via all digital platforms as well as limited edition white vinyl, classic black vinyl, CD and digital
Talitres webstore: http://bit.ly/3GDdexJ
Pale Fire digital single: https://bfan.link/pale-fire
Pale Fire video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onBzSYvGXeg