Church of Non Believers are from Hull, and that’s about all I know. OK so strictly I’m not being honest here – I also know that they mix up lots of different sorts of music into ‘their thing’. I know this not only from the information I was able to glean from their Soundcloud Page but because I listened to all of the tracks on there.
The impression I got of these was that they do music that has a certain darkness to it, a certain moodiness. There’s an influence of post-punk electronica and, dare I say it, a hint of something Goth.
‘Cover Your Mouth’ has something of a more pop sound – dark-pop of course, but it’s musically deceptively simple and has a lovely tune.that flows out of the speakers in an oh-so smooth way. I say deceptively simple because this is music that has a lot going on, there are layers and layers of sounds that compel you to dig down into them.
But when you start to listen harder, you begin to hear sonic indicators that this song isn’t quite the smooth dark-pop song you may at first think it is. There are sounds that have you on edge.
And before you jump to conclusions this song isn’t about the current virus situation. I say you but I mean me, because I did when I first saw the title. Instead, as the band explain, the song is about‘ a future where words and speaking have been banished’.Although thinking about it the face coverings thing does restrict our ability to communicate verbally effectively, so perhaps it is about the current situation in some way. And at times it feels like we are in some sort of dystopia near future. The dystopian feel of the music reflects this.
Now it is at this point where I’m going to say, as you might have guessed, that this track has something of a retro feel to it. A feel that lies in the late 70s and early 80s. For me I hear hints of things I know but the thing is that the band use these as a starting point, not the end point.
Over the couple of weeks I’ve had access to this I’ve become bewitched by it, I’ve been seduced by it. This musical love affair has turned into something bigger, I adore this band.
This is a wonderful release that is rich in sonic reward, from a band doing their own thing, their own very special thing..
The info
Church Of Non Believers are a Hull based band who continue to mesh various musical genres from electronic to funk, from rock to country and from blues to pop to help create their unique and alternative post-rock style. Their marriage of eclectic sounds, idiosyncratic lyrics and challenging subject matter continues to evolve.
Deeaay Harrison – vocals
Phillip Mower – keyboards, guitars
Carlos Pires – guitars
James Ranson – keyboards
