Compassion was first released at the beginning
of last year, and received rave reviews then, with John
Peel, Gilles Peterson and Robert Eims amongst others
giving the album the thumbs up. After the initial copies
sold out, and ahead of the second album, due out later
this year, London based Memphis Industries are now finally
re-releasing this classic with an additional CD, built
around excerpts of rare EPs and unreleased tracks.
Brainchild of Dan Berridge, Broadway Project first emerged
in 1999 with a handful of astonishing 12”, followed
by an album at the beginning of 2001. Dark, atmospheric
and melodic, Compassion drew comparisons with
artists as diverse as Tom Waits, Portishead, Boards
Of Canada or Pink Floyd. Extremely ambitious, this
album fuses jazz, avant-rock, experimental electronic,
clever vocal samples and cinematic strings without compromising
the integrity of the compositions. From the first moments
of the dramatic Who’s To Blame to the last
bars of No Religion, Berridge continuously
plays on the combined intensity of melodies, arrangements
and vocal performances, offering some of the richest
and most luxurious soundscapes heard in years. Berridge
doesn’t simply juxtapose genres; he truly integrates
them to create a truly unique experience, building little
vignettes of breathtaking beauty. From the apparent
simplicity of Femme Fatale or Life Of A
Refugee to the more open intricacy of Non-Resistance,
with its vibrant contemporary orchestral harmonies,
or the poignant London Broken Heart, Compassion
amazes, moves, surprises and captivates endlessly with
wonderful orchestrations and atmospheric melodies.
The additional recordings included on the second CD
offer a slight different angle on Berridge’s music.
If the sound is as magnificent, the mood is lighter
and fresher. Beautiful string whirlwinds lift Eisenhower,
Kennedy, Johnson, while the dreamy
Recovery, which, more than any other compositions
here sustains the Boards
Of Canada comparison, seems more settled and straightforward,
highlighting the more exhilarating side of Broadway
Project.
Compassion is inhabited by the same ‘noirceur
ambiente’ as Portishead’s Dummy or Massive
Attack’s Mezzanine,
but here, desperation often gives way to more positive
feelings. Hidden behind his Broadway Project, Dan Berridge
proves to be an amazing song writer and a pure melodist,
with an incomparable style and personality. Compassion
is an utterly essential record.
5/5 |
