GENTLE and melancholic, Time Of Dust is a moody, if short, collection of haunting tracks.
Running to just about half an hour, the mini-album is a throwback to Maplewood – Harcourt’s first release in 2001 – and hints at the style his upcoming new full album.
To that end, expect tracks such as Come Into My Dreamland and Parliament Rooks, which would not be out of place in a stage musical, sung by a misunderstood villain who wants to woo the heroine.
Soft and piano led, they maintain a bold and individual theatricality that tell a story as well as the dark lyrics.
Then out of nowhere comes the drum and dance-tinged We All Went Down With The Ship and the somehow moodier The Saddest Orchestra (It Only Plays For You), and the album picks up energy and widens in scale – more vocals, more instruments, more tempo changes.
A beautiful start to Harcourt’s new, dark phase then. Expect the full album to be even better.
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