Press & Reviews
Reviews for "For the Grains of Sand"
Released November 2006
'For The Grains Of Sand' is the long-awaited (well, in some circles!) debut album from Edinburgh slo-core
enthusiasts Northern Alliance and, as expected, it's packed full of wondrous, slow, swirling guitar epics
that entwine themselves in the listeners subconscious. Which is nice.
Two exquisite mini albums have surfaced previously (the self-released 'Hope In Little Things' and 'Disaster
For Scotland' on Fence Records) but this full-length effort sees the band developing the depth of their
songwriting and overall sound.
Lead singer Doug Johnstone (Scotland's answer to Mark Linkous?) has a voice that, while hardly ever fully
in tune, possesses a certain haunting, melodic quality that helps to pull him through.
The fuzzy, loping, shuffling rock of 'Shock Of The New' exemplifies the band's development and is an early
album highlight, along with the wonderfully hypnotic 'Line In The Sand'. The album's peak though, could
well be the glorious 'Scaffolding', whose beauty hinges on a stunning contribution from female vocalist Vivien
Strachan.
Lyrically, the band concern themselves with the "wide-eyed terror of parenthood, wasted years, abandoned
relationships and an obsession with death and suicide." But it's not all doom and gloom, as the optimistic,
parental closer 'Band Of Hope' testifies.
Yet to make a name for themselves live, the band are embarking on a few rare dates in November to promote the
album, and if they're playing near you I'd suggest you get yourself along. You won't regret.
If your ears are working properly, you'll love this.
Is This Music, December 2006 [4/5]
Lying between the dark, post rock of Mogwai and the quiet vocals of Low, this third album from the East Lothianers is a triumph
of homespun recording.
Peter John Meiklem, The Big Issue, November 2006 [4/5]
Dans le livret du premier long format des Ecossais de Northern Alliance - For The Grains Of Sand- on peut lire ceci : "This album
is for Aidan." Fantasmant une hypothétique confraternité, on ne peut s'empêcher de penser qu'il s'agit d'une manière élégante de
saluer la fin d'un groupe majeur du Royaume des Scots, Arab Strap. Il n'en est rien mais à nous l'idée nous plaît. Pas simplement
par paresse d'écriture. Les deux formations partagent en effet plus que leurs origines, un regard sur le monde soutenu par une paire
d'yeux humides. Cependant quand Arab Strap parfumait son post-folk à la Guiness tiède, Northern Alliance aère son slow-core gorge
nouée aux embruns marins - Doug Johnstone (vocaliste et multi-instrumentiste du groupe) confesse d'ailleurs dans une analyse chanson
par chanson à paraître sous peu que la proximité de la mer lui est essentielle. Cette troisième sortie après les mini-albums Hope
In Little Things (2003) et Disaster For Scotland (2004) convoque ainsi les images de ballades dominicales d'après-midi de novembre
sur les plages des littoraux de nos enfances. Ce temps particulier -ni tout à fait lundi et plus vraiment dimanche- qui nous
enseignait la rêverie et la mélancolie. On aurait souhaité pouvoir glisser dans notre walkman de l'époque (de la taille d'un
dictionnaire de poche), une cassette de For The Grains Of Sand. L'introductif et languide "Wonders Of The Invisible World"
nous aurait rappelé qu'il nous restait encore de belles heures avant l'école du lendemain, "Scaffolding" dessiné par la voix fragile
de Viv Strachan et un motif de clavier presque souffreteux mais lumineux ou encore "Calgary" comme un écho européen au catalogue
de Low, seraient parvenus à éclairer une fin de promenade tristement synonyme de début de soirée. La musique de Northern Alliance
se construit par accumulations de couches concentriques de guitares, claviers ou voix. Un son qui suit une ligne courbe et nous
épargne ainsi la ligne droite de la chronologie. Celle qui menait invariablement vers le lundi matin.
Benjamin, adecouvrirabsolument.com, December 2006
Si Sarah records existait encore, il signerait sans hésiter nos 3 écossais de Northern Alliance, car leur univers musical
aux contours celestes, ressemble beaucoup à tous ces groupes ,field mice, trembling blue star,mojave 3, Zéphyrs .....faiseurs
de popsongs atmosphériques, cotoneuses mais pas mollassonnes à cause des envolées de guitares tels des coups d'éclairs dans un
ciel orageux ( iddlewild n'est pas tres loin, sur "start of winter" par exemple, une de mes préférées avec line in the sand).
"For the grains of Sand" leur 2ème album est à mon avis l'album de la maturité .le côté "fouilli" de leur 1er opus a completement
disparu laissant place à une grande homogéneité dans les compositions , les voix féminine/masculine s'alternent ou se mélangent
avec délicatesse et fluidité ,délicieux " scaffolding" ou crépusculaire " calgary" .Un bel album aux couleurs de l'Ecosse,
rempli de brume et de mystère .....d'instants fragiles et éphemères.je fonds.
Wilcow, Tatopoum.net, December 2006 [5/5]
Promising late night bedsit rock for those lone Jack Daniels' moments
Northern Alliance are every inch a live band - their new album has been recorded in a loft and it shows, with
professional production values but a fresh raw sound. It's like listening to a session or a soundcheck.
Ironically, the group have played only 4 gigs ever - though this is all set to change. Strange, for a band who
sound like they should be so at home on the stage. But this perhaps adds to the enigma of the bands contradictory
nature.
From start to finish, it's a weird collection of opposites - from "Start of Winter" sounding like "Split" era Lush,
to the dark brooding shoegazery of "Line In The Sand", it's very hard to really get a finger on exactly where
Northern Alliances… erm… alliances lie.
You'd be hard pushed to find anything to mosh to here, the tempo is slow and lazy but the passion is raw and
aggressive - tuneful power pop for stoners - one almost envisages early Pulp - a band with introspection and
promise, with a potential to do something beyond even their own expectations.
Worth having knocking around, just in case it's the precursor for something bigger. It probably won't be, but
then tell that to the people who told me that "Creep" by Radiohead sounded "like bad U2".
As they say themselves - "We are a band of hope".
Chris Merriman, Subba-Cultcha, 30.10.06
Edinburgh based band Northern Alliance are part of the loose coalition of musicians known as the Fence Collective.
This is the band's third album coming over two years after the critically acclaimed Hope in Little Things (2003)
and Disaster for Scotland (2004). The band consists of Craig Smith (bass, guitars, keyboards, sampler), Doug
Johnstone (drums, drum machine, guitars, keyboards, sampler, vocals) and Viv Strachan (vocals).
Having been consistently, in their own words, 'low-fi' on previous releases this is the band's attempts to raise
their profile both in terms of music and the public. It's clear they seek higher things. It is very difficult to
categorise the music as Northern Alliance genuinely don't sound like anyone else, although the closest references
are Pink Floyd (Meddle period) or the Canterbury sound of Caravan et al (both of whom are undergoing a renaissance
at the moment) and more contemporary bands like Sparklehorse, Arab Strap or Belle and Sebastian. The lyrics are
magical and prosaic and read like poetry on the sleeve but are issued in hushed harmonies or deliberately distorted
vocals, placed far down in the mix, so as to make them somewhat subsidiary to the overall sound. Northern Alliance
are far too intelligent for this to be anything other than deliberate, using purposeful repetition to make the
voices another instrument to be added into the sonic mix. And what a wonderful sound it is. They seem to have
placed the guitar as high up the treble scale and the bass sounds as low down so as to give them full scope to
fill in the rest with swathes of breathtaking sound.
Tracks like the opening, gentle Wonders of the Invisible World and the following Line in the Sand set the pattern,
building from a simple keyboard start into what, for Northern Alliance, is a full metal bash (that's full, not too
metal and more of a smite than a bash). There are even feedback driven guitar solos, tracks using vocal distortion
and disco drumming in there. How much more 'hi-fi' can you get?
Stepping through the lyrics, the theme of the album seems initially one of despair - fearing for the future of
their children, the Little Grains of Sands of the title, but close listening shows that there is still a feeling
of hope that all may not be lost and that we are a Band of Hope as the closing track suggests.
There's lots going on in this album – beautiful melodies, intelligent lyrics all set against a carefully worked
out wall of sound. It's an evocative, mystical journey that grows on you each time you listen.
Kevin Moug, Maverick Magazine, 07.11.06 [4/5]
Anything aligned with Fife's Fence Collective is worth a look. Doug Johnstone and Viv Strachan share vocals on
this charm-filled album. Comparable to Sparklehorse, Will Oldham and Low, the Edinburgh band's sound is often
gentle and the lyrics thoughtful. Scaffolding, Calgary and Tomb Of The Eagles stand out.
Avril Cadden, Sunday Mail, 05.11.06 [3/5]
For the Grains of Sand FIRST full-length album (although they've released two mini-albums) from Edinburgh's
finest.
It's been two years since Disaster for Scotland and boy have they moved on.
Wonders of the Invisible World, while still playing their blend of psychedelic folk, is an incredible mix
of Spiritualised, The Monkees and The Beta Band.
Doug Johnstone, Craig Smith and Vivien Strachan could follow Snow Patrol into that emotional rock if they felt
like it, but having played only four live shows in five years don't hold your breath. Catch them while you
can at The Ship Tavern, Anstruther, on Sunday.
Rick Fulton, Daily Record, 03.11.06
Recorded in a loft in East Lothian, this has been a slow burner of a third
album for Northern Alliance, taking two years to finish, largely because
members were variously doing real stuff: writing a novel, travelling,
studying – having babies.
Its title refers to the embryonic stages of said sprogs, although could be
taken in hindsight as a reference to its own patient genesis. Or the way
tracks swell and cascade so unhurriedly, into works of beautifully fragile
optimism full of layered, chiming guitars and delicate vocals.
Either way, it’s proof that if you have ideas, and melodies (and whisky), a
great album will follow. No rush.
Malcolm Jack, The List, 01.10.06 [4/5]