HUNTERS PALACE: IT'S COLD OUTSIDE
October 2004
All quiet inside the palace!
I must admit
that I wasn’t really aware of Hunters Palace’s existence until after the
release of their debut CD, Idle Times, and then only because a.) Adolf,
who used to be in the band back then, had mentioned it fleetingly during
a conversation about Bob Dylan or The Divine Comedy or something of the
sort and b.) a friend of mine familiar with my musical preferences lent
me the CD to have a listen. Shame on me, you must be thinking, but in
actual fact, aside from their close circle of friends and a handful of
other choice individuals, few people were aware of Hunter’s Palace –
both the band and the building whose name they borrowed – or the quiet
storm they had managed to condense into the space of just under 40
minutes! The band’s lack of self-promotion – possibly a trademark
reflective of their personal perspectives of what making music is about
– was again the main factor of why I missed the launch of their new (and
sadly, final!) release, It’s Cold Outside!
With Idle Times turning out to be the musical equivalent of a rough
diamond, my expectations of It’s Cold Outside were mixed. Upon slipping
the new CD into my player however, the six featured tracks offered a
refreshing surprise. Hunters Palace – essentially Peter Sant and Alex
Vella Gera - had apparently adopted a new approach, one that
incorporated more musicians and more instruments. The additions in fact
turn out to be more than just beneficial to the band’s latest work; the
sound, despite still retaining the Palace’s typical fragility, is much
warmer than anything on Idle Times. Essentially ascribed to a defined
alt-country slang, although the band would probably prefer to admit to a
more free folk influence, the new songs also reflect other
non-conventional influences, namely the slo-core slumber of Working Day,
the post-rock inflections of Looking For A Love and the campfire
ambience of closing track In The Hunters Palace Again. This EP is a
clear sign that Hunters Palace have discovered their golden path - even
if it does lie beyond the less-is-more philosophy revealed (and revered)
on their debut – and one hopes that Peter’s move to London won’t mean
that Hunters Palace have to stop after this great collection of songs!
Recommended weblink: www.hunterspalace.com
