Flying Nun Records – FN589LP
Purple Pilgrims emerged in 2011 with an 8-inch lathe cut in an edition
of 50. It held two untitled tracks with a cover photo swiped from the
poster for the Wes Craven-directed 1981 cult horror movie Deadly
Blessing and was accompanied by a hand-sewn 12-page zine. Checking out
the tracks on Bandcamp (via the PseudoArcana label), they radiate like a
mixture of environmental field recordings and pop that’s as psychedelic
as it is dreamy; that it was mastered by Brian Crook of the Renderers
provides a clue as to where it’s all situated.
From there, Purple Pilgrims shared a 2013 split LP with the US-based
twisted synth psych sculptor Gary War on Upset! The Rhythm and they
followed that in 2016 with their proper full-length debut Eternal
Delight on the Not Not Fun label. The songs on the split lessened the
hazy drifty quality that could make ‘em seem like a byproduct of the
Xpressway label in favor of dreamy glisten-glide, and all was well.
With Eternal Delight, the sound blossomed even more, all while retaining
tangible but subtle edge in the delivery, so that folks who gravitated
toward the lathe-cut debut could continue to relate. There was also an
increase in attention to synth ambiance that underscored the association
with Gary War. On Perfumed Earth, this connection persists, as War
contributed bass and synth lines to the record from various US hotels
while he was out touring with John Maus.
For this recording, the Nixons utilized the same rustic studio in Tapu
where Eternal Delight was cut, augmenting the vibe with those
abovementioned assists, which include drumming from Lorde keyboardist
Jimmy Mac and guitar from Surf City’s Joshua Kennedy. But the moody
lushness of the brief opener “How Long Is Too Long” puts the sisters
solidly in the foreground.
And it’s not like they get lost in the proceedings as Perfumed Earth
unfolds, but “Ancestors Watching” does register as a more collaborative
affair, or at least more layered, even as it mingles vocal beauty with a
gemlike glistening keyboard pattern. And speaking of patterns, those
drums do add heft, but it’s not like Purple Pilgrims are standing on the
precipice of rocking out.
And that’s cool. Pop splendor is increasingly the fruits of the Nixon’s
artistic labor, with “Sensing Me” the sorta tune that will inevitably
draw comparisons to Kate Bush. One crucial difference is the elevated
vocal harmony; hey, it’s like having two Kate Bush’s on hand, and that
circumstance blends well with the non-clichéd and often subtle synth-pop
current that runs throughout the disc.
This synth-pop aura, with an emphasis on pop, intensifies during “I’m
Not Saying,” the song reminding me a little bit of Stephin Merritt (like
something he might’ve recorded with Susan Amway, or as part of the 6ths
project), but just a wee bit, as the Nixons lack Merritt’s strain of
eccentricity and his anachronistic qualities. That is, “I’m Not Saying”
has nothing to do with the Tin Pan Alley. It’s just good pure synth-pop
that calls out for chilly autumn weather.
To my ear, synth-pop and the fall season complement each other
particularly well. A personal idiosyncrasy perhaps, but one not unworthy
of comment. I’m also taken with how well the Nixonian dream-pop
sensibility blends with the playing of experimental saxophonist Jeff
Henderson. While his playing does flirt with free jazz a smidge along
the way, the whole is much more about prettiness, courtesy of a
vibraphone-like keyboard line. There is also a hovering synth.
But most notably, as neither Nixon sings it all holds up extremely well.
The voices do return in “Two Worlds Apart.” Here, the tempo shifts.
It’s now up, and it’s dancy, though there’s an instrumental ambiance
reminding me just a little of very early Stereolab. Others may not hear
this similarity at all, but hopefully it’s getting driven home that
Purple Pilgrims are far from a typical dream-pop/ synth-pop scenario.
“Love in Lunacy (Saturn Return)” cultivates a touch of retro-futurist
strangeness while keeping on the pop course. Closer “Tragic Gloss” heads
wholeheartedly down that the same avenue and with some appealing synth
cascades thrown in. However, it’s penultimate track “Ruinous Splendour,”
in part through the guitar of Roy Montgomery, that stands as one of
Perfumed Earth’s highlights.
As Purple Pilgrims assisted Montgomery on his very nifty Suffuse from
last year, their association is a sturdy one. I’m also struck that the
most enjoyable (if not necessarily best) Flying Nun record I’ve heard in
quite a while features guitar from a member of the Pin Group, a unit
responsible for the very first Flying Nun record, the “Ambivalence” 45.
But I don’t want to stray from the point here; even with a handful of
help, the core of Perfumed Earth’s goodness derives from Valentine and
Clementine Nixon.