Bleep

Tom Hobden, who you might recall as the fiddler in Noah and the Whale, and his erstwhile producer Eliot James team up for a release on the classical/minimalist imprint Village Green (Ryan Teague, Ellis Island Sound). Pieces like ‘Housman’s Theme’ place themselves firmly in the English classical tradition that extends back through Elgar and Britten, with gorgeous melodies cascading over lush string and piano arrangements. While the album pops and sparkles with high-gloss production values, this only ever serves to embellish rather than cover up the stirring music within. Though both artists have used classical tropes in their work before, Roam is an impressive triumph.