The Kingsbury Manx, Ascenseur Ouverti

review by dave heaton

The Kingsbury Manx’s fifth album present a dream-state built of melodies and harmonies. The songs have gentle forward motion, but there also always seems to be something supernatural hovering in the air. They’re introspective songs with mysteries beyond the self, and also pop songs that keep open air within their construction. The architecture of the songs is graceful and stately, but also feels natural – the way the guitars, the keyboard, the violin will work around each other but also fall together.

”I only tell you what you want to hear”, is one lyric that always jumps out from the speakers for me. It represents the way the album is populated with people in trouble, with arguments and frailties. Take a song like “If You’re On the Mend, I’m On the Move”, where the protagonist is absolutely ready to cut strings and move on, separate instead of understand. He sounds content with it, and the relaxed music reflects that contentment. But that “I only tell you what you want to hear” line also represents for me the way the lushness of the album feels escapist but also like a secret.

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