Full of sunshine and love, the post reformation Henry Forrest discovers the pleasures of The Raft…
A surname like Wilson is as much an inheritance to musical greatness, as probably the surname West is to back garden burials! The name is Wilson…Phil Wilson, no relation to the Beach Boys genius Brian, but on a sure path to becoming a revered reference point in his own right. Phil Wilson’s The Raft have been ploughing a marvellously melodic trail for the last 18 years, with Wilson’s sumptuous soundscapes a melange of harmonic voices, swooning guitars and crystalline production (the ever present J Pedro working his magic on the mixing desk) Summerheads and Winter Beds is perfect for the imperfect times we live in. 13 tracks and just over an hour long, it feels as if it was destined to be released in a time of enforced stillness, where with minus distractions you can fully submit yourself to its hypnotic power.
Though a multi-instrumentalist, Wilson’s real skill lies in his voice. It is unobtrusive and threatens never to exceed the decibel level of a whisper. It’s an integral factor which contributes to the sonic dimensions of the record; understated almost to the point of invisibility on musically unsophisticated ears. It’s pure, soothing, and unapologetically English, with neither a scintilla of mid Atlantic affectation nor regional caricature japery. It’s such a reassuring voice that both believers and non-believers would want to hear it as they leave this world to enter onto the next.
Wilson sings on all but the first of the album’s 13 songs, he is accompanied by a host of angelic female voices which gloriously and faithfully transports some of the tracks into modern equivalents of hymns. For an artist who is highlighted for his melodies and draws admirable comparisons with the Spector/Beach Boys inspired pop alchemists Teenage Fan Club, Ride and My Bloody Valentine, the collaborations with vocalists Claire O’Neill, Liz Kramer and Red Shelley are the driving force of the record. The democracy of harmony is on display on the dreamlike ‘Hold Back the World’; five and a half minutes of shimmering beauty, as if the Cocteau Twins had passed The Raft a jewel encrusted baton to elegantly cross the finish line. Patti Smith once said about David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ that it is the song that should end all great movies, this could also unashamedly apply to ‘Heavy Metal Eyes’ a soaring Ennio Morricone evocation of sadness and hope which can succeed in breaking and mending your heart at the same time.
Summerheads is not all celestial posture, it a multi-faceted and fierce beast that fully utilises the talents of all involved. ‘Thinking About You’ is The Raft at its funkiest -Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis meets the Chameleons. ‘You’re an Animal’ which is the single lifted from the album is as mean and as lean a three minutes that you could put together – hinting that under the atmospheric soaring dreamlike compositions is a dirty Black Rebel Motorcycle element fighting to come out. The Raft musically oscillate between the angel who delicately attunes his gilded wings and the committed slob, whom through a compound interest of sweat has eroded so many holes in his winter clothes, that they are now suitable for summer wear!
‘The Story or the Song’ concludes a rewarding journey that proves musical talent and ability is (unfortunately) not an arbitrary concept. And so be thankful that the skilled practitioners of these accomplished tracks are enriching your life.
— Henry Forrest
Summerheads and Winter Beds is available from $5 or £3.77 (!) at:
https://shorediverecords.bandcamp.com/album/summerheads-and-winter-beds
Hit The Raft tag below to see all our pieces on this great band!
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