IV Of Cups: Vinyl LP

Label: Be With
Release Date: 13th March

Our favourite ambient-guitar outfit are back yet again but this time with a darkness, a heft... man, those guitars are glistening and shimmering still but they're carrying a sense of post-punk menace and paired with 808 that whallop. Love to hear this project develop. 

Side A explores the emotional levels of consciousness; angst, joy, love, sorrow, relief,
regret – they are all represented across the first seven tracks, and often within the
same piece. XXI kicks us off with a huge tumbling D minor passage, layers and layers
of guitar front and centre, whilst the drums pound away in the distance. Release is
provided with a gorgeous G Dorian section, where we hear the bass take flight with a
high melodic line.
We’re still in familiar Durutti Column meets Dif Juz territory here, but things switch
up with XXII. This piece showcases a darker, more angular palette of guitars; think
Alan Rankine (The Associates), or Deb Demure (Drab Majesty) in the unexpected
harmonic shifts, knotty arpeggiated patterns and heavy, goth-adjacent modulation. A
real love letter to 45+ years of darkly inclined guitar heritage.
Side B again takes us on a trip through three long-form semi-improvised pieces.
XXVIII is like those classic Jonny Nash, early Melody As Truth releases, slowly
unfurling, additional details introduced deliberately piece by piece, this idea builds
across 7+ minutes culminating in some utterly joyous ebow fireworks at the end –
well Balearic.
Tracklist: A1 XXI A2 XXII A3 XXIII A4 XXIV A5 XXV A6 XXVI A7 XXVII B1 XXVIII B2 XXIX
B3 XXX