Combining forces for a fourth long player entitled A Day Of Unrest, Eleven 76 (a.k.a Paul Elliott and Dan Smith) once more venture back half a century and more to the soulful library sounds of 60s/70s stateside cop-shows and Italian giallo movies. Yep – it’s another addition to the well-stuffed soundtrack-to-flicks-that-don’t-exist-genre and it’s testament to the work of this pair of instrumentalists that the trick still hasn’t got old. It just sounds old – in the very best way.
The LP features the two former singles of course. The first of these is Frosty (End Titles) – nervy and energetic drumfunk business draped in Delia Derbyshire-style retro-synthwork and almost yacht-rock guitar soloing – while the second, Someone’s Always There, is all chilled Latin rhythms and 60s melodic stylings that whisper ‘Bond or Harry Palmer in Eastern Europe’ with tremolo guitars and cimbaloms agogo. Elsewhere, listen out out for the evocative mystery of Hall Of Dead Roses (Title Track) the orchestral menace of Covert Signals and the brief, sepulchral splendour of Sorrento Is No More while taking especial note of the feedback-drenched title track, moody, mod-funky chase theme Denzel’s Pick Up Truck and the gem that is The Maniacal Twin‘s epic grooving threat.
(Out now on Légère Recordings)