le blog pastallconcerns

Thomas Bel only uses guitars to create his own nostalgic and forlorn mood, and his voice to express feelings which are not quite despair or dejection, but a rather comfortable and warm melancholy, as is the case on “Comfort”. There are no drums, loops, keyboards or numerous arrangements; his music, like his album cover, is deeply minimalist and stripped to the bone, without ever sounding bare or stark. His pieces of music flow easily but make you want to hear what’s next, and the listener never wants it to end and wants to keep on listening to the tracks again and again, resting warmly in waves of sounds. Moreover, the song titles say it all: “Comfort”, “The Finest Moment to Breathe”, “Quiet Souls in a Quiet Place”. All is quiet and sweet, reassuring and comforting, honest and straightforward, pure and true in his music. Thomas Bel’s album should be listened by fans of ethereal music and art in general, including films or photographs such as Rinko Kawauchi’s, for example. He speaks the language of peace and dreams, and it’s so rare to find such deliquacy in the French music scene.

Even though it is divided into eight songs, the record makes sense as a whole. As a matter of fact, all songs are based on a pattern of repetition and echoes: a guitar starts playing a simple melody, then another guitar starts playing another one, etc… until the song finally becomes very soulful and reaches a sort of climax. Sometimes it works really well, especially when Thomas Bel starts singing with his very beautiful whispery voice on top of the music he has created, and the result can be really overwhelming as is the case on “Comfort” , “Film Sequence” or on the instrumental piece “Distance”.

 This pattern of repetition can be found not only within the songs but within the record as a whole, “The Finest Moment To Breathe” bearing a lot of resemblance to the first track “Blank”, while “Reliance” and “Quiet Souls in A Quiet Place” sound as two parts of the same song. Some people may find it somewhat repetitive or a bit dull, but they would miss the point: Thomas Bel’s music is essentially hypnotic, it aims - with very modest means: there are no guitar hero “tricks” nor corny solos on the record - at creating a very comfortable atmosphere in which the listener can relish or relax. “Abstract Evening” never sounds obtrusive or disturbing, even though some “accidents” might have been welcomed. This is only a minor flaw, however, and Thomas Bel’s “Abstract Evening” is perfect music to daydream to, fall asleep to, watch rain or snow fall to. It is a very promising and enjoyable first record, and we’re definitely waiting for the next one, hoping the music will be a little more obtrusive and a little less comfortable.

As Thomas says on his myspace page: “We’re here to feel…”. He is definitely here to make us feel very lovely things, and we are definitely here to listen.