Search - Autumn :: Return to Breath

Autumn's Breath of Fresh Air

Michael A. Ventarola | New Jersey | 11/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Band: Autumn
CD: Return To The Breath (First Pressed Release)
Reviewed by: Mike VentarolaWhen it comes to goth bands who make me swoon, Autumn is one that clearly comes to mind. From their remarkable premier recording The Hating Tree to this sophomore release, one just cannot give me too much from this band. One would have to be near dead not to be effected by the soaring vocals of Julie Plante, the passionate guitar playing of Neil McKay or the pulsing bass of Jeff Leyda. Autumn is yet another band that I will run out and purchase without having heard one track from their latest recording simply because I trust their talent and ability to provide quality music. This CD went to a second pressing because quite frankly some of the folks in the goth scene are way too mentally constipated for words. This initial release opened with an American Indian chant, Dakota Odowan, that seemed to put too many noses out of joint simply because the band delved into something new and veered somewhat away from what folks were used to. Since there was a sizable outcry, the CD was repressed with that first track now removed, with folks losing the essence of inspiration behind the work. However, because of the twitchy people, this pressing is now quite valuable as a collector's item, thank you very much! It worked for Dead Can Dance, so who can blame the band for attempting something different? While discussing collectors items, there is also a rare and limited, elegantly packaged 7" blue vinyl pressing of Even Now and How It Came To Be This Way available from Tess Records (...) that is very reasonably priced for the time being. It can safely be said that if goth should ever become a national rage the way new wave did in the 80's, Autumn will be heralded for the ability to maintain consistent, sultry, at times sulking, beautiful arrangements. Plante's vocals seem to have come from the school of Chrissie Hynde with that alto range that pierces through the smoke screen of emotional turmoil which refuses to be ignored and is a guaranteed hit maker. Stylistically, this CD did veer into different territories without losing their trademark sound. A more new wave flavor is evidenced with All My Lovers, mournful violins with Lullaby For Marguerite, a bit of a mid-tempo dance groove with The Knowing, slightly Spanish flavored rhythm with The End of The Line , cold electro landscape with Still Breathing, foreboding tones with Shadowgirl, pensive and introspective with A Simple Truth, and church like and forbidding with The Trip. This dalliance into new arrangements demonstrated the remarkable talent of this trio to take any style and sound, recreate it for a gothic audience and still manage to keep the listener enraptured. One cannot help but become more impressed with the talent of this band than ever before. Somehow, the swirling guitars mesmerize and hypnotize us while Plante caresses her notes and pulls out layers of vulnerability that we can identify with and feel safe with exposing. She gives us the impression that she is like a big sister telling us about life, love and loss and that we need to be mindful of lest we get burned in the same way. The only negative thing I can think of is the fact that the cover is a bit light, which made reading the song titles on the back cover rather difficult...damn these elder goth eyes! However, all the song titles and their lyrics are clearly evident on the inside of the cover fold out, so they are once again redeemed. It should come as no surprise to other Autumn fans why I adore this band so much. However, for those new to the scene or unsure of which CD's are worthy of your hard earned dollar, this band delivers the goods every time.(...) Delve into the music of this band and forever be enraptured by Autumn's harvest."

Beauty never fades...

Ilker Yucel | Annapolis, MD United States | 07/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Autumn's first album certainly captivated me with its wall of swirling psychedelic guitars and operatic vocals a la Julie Plante's beautiful voice. "Return to the Breath" is aptly named as it is a return to the sound of the first album. The lyrics are very poetic and beautiful to listen to through Julie's sometimes bittersweet voice amidst phasing backdrops that remind me of The Cure's early material from albums like "Faith" and "Seventeen Seconds." There is not much progression into new territory on this album, not stylistically, but that is hardly a deterrent to enjoying the music. Autumn have found a sound that they are good at, and they stick to it with this album. There is a romanticism present in their style that entrances the soul. Songs that really caught me are the more well-known ones like "Red" and "Shadowgirl," but I really enjoyed hearing the songs "Lullaby for Marguerite," "Still Breathing," and "All My Lovers." They are my above-all favorites on this album. Again, the sound is not much different from "The Hating Tree," but when one hears enchanting, lovely music, one can not get enough of it, and the music on both of these albums are nothing short of absolute beauty. If you are a fan of romantic gothic music, this band is for you!"

Beautiful music...

Ilker Yucel | Annapolis, MD United States | 06/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In a day and age when people have deluded themselves into thinking that Marilyn Manson is the pinnacle of goth music culture (when he's anything but), the sound of Autumn is a breath of fresh air. Their first album, "The Hating Tree" showed glimmers of reminscence of a time when goth was an expression of beauty and aggression without being belligerent or mindnumbing, echoing the sound of The Cure's "Pornography" or Joy Division's "Closer," without sounding hacknyed or unoriginal. Now, with "Return to the Breath," Autumn do just what the title suggests, returning to the dynamics of the first album but without sounding rehashed. This album is far more soothing than "The Hating Tree." The first album was hypnotic and aggressive with occasional moments of pure ecstatic beauty. "Return to the Breath" goes in the opposite direction, with more softer songs and a moment or two of sheer gothic angst. My favorite song is "The End of the Line," a short acoustic piece that bring to mind images of nomadic drifters searching for lost love in a barren wasteland of one's heart and soul. Other songs like "Red," "All My Lovers," and "A Letter to Marguerite" are soft, saddening, but beautiful, while "The Trip," "The Knowing," and "Shadowgirl" pierce through the listener's ears with words of both love and lament. From Neil McKay's swirling psychadelic guitar, to Jeff Layda's complimentary bassmanship, to Julie Plante's heavenly operatic voice, this is true gothic music at its finest, a lovely testament to a genre that has been bastardized by money-groping posers like Manson. If you are looking for music that read poetry to the soul and enlightens the senses, music with a modern twist yet a classical edge, romantic but not melodramatic, Autumn is the band for you. "Return to the Breath" will not disappoint."