CD Review: Urusen - One Day In June

Urusen - One Day In June
2006, Zenmusic

Urusen is a folk-rock band with Celtic and Americana leanings. Theirs is an acoustic sound that is all musicianship and no glamour. On the British duo's second disc, One Day In June, hey alternately reminded me of The Brothers Creeggan and The Beautiful South. Lyrically competent and intelligent, the real stars here are the musical arrangements. The musicians out there will eat this album up, it's that good. Strong melodies and beautiful harmonies combine with incredibly tight musicianship to create a gratifying sonic experience.

My favorite track here is Impossibly, but as with all great albums the favorite track is bound to change over time. Impossibly shows off the harmonies of Peter Beatty and Ben Please in their most abject beauty. Vote For Me is an ironic take on political campaigns that is mildly humorous yet poignant. The track Daylight Soon is a light and breezy tune about bad choices that will be stuck in your head for days. Other highlights include the dark and mysterious Crone, Map Of Nowhere, the melancholy regret of Angel, and the title track, One Day In June.

Urusen writes about love and loss and the unforeseen events of daily life with a panache that makes you want to put off what you had planned for the day, stay home and listen to the disc several more times. Musically inventive and intricate, One Day In June will envelope you in its arms and cart you off into the stories it tells. You'll be picking musical surprises out of the arrangements 20 listens in (and probably for many more after that). Urusen's vocalists are pleasant on their own, and sublime when their voices join in harmony. The pace on the album will be a little slow for some of my readers, but tough. This is great stuff. It's a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. It's required listening. Go buy it.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Urusen at www.urusen.co.uk, where you can purchase a limited edition copy of One Day In June using PayPal. You can also check out www.myspace.com/urusen.