Smile Down Upon Us – Smile Down Upon Us

Smile Down Upon Us is a collaboration between London based music makers Keiron Phelan and David Sheppard and Tokyo based vocalist MoomLooo. It was a collaboration born through the internet as Phelan Sheppard found Moomlooo through myspace and, after exchanging messages of mutual admiration, a collaboration was born.

Their debut record is one of organic colour, sprouting with twee sounds that lend themselves to folk and electronic music. Listening to this reminds me of a band like Broadcast or Four Tet, it sounds fresh and new, and really sparkles with a sense of ornate magic.

Opener 'Girl of a Skin-coloured Blanket No2' introduces MoomLooos delicate soaring vocals as she effortlessly blends with the sounds of the birds around her. From here on out the enchantment simply flows through you. Songs like 'Childs Walk' remind me a little of Psapp, whilst 'My Body Continents' sounds like 60's psychedelia from another planet. There really is a feast of delights in every song on this record. 'Rayla No Lullaby' sounds like being on some sort of music box choo choo train. I've actually reverted back to being a child, imagining all the sounds to be animals and magic places. Music that does that to you surely has to be great.

Despite never having met each other at any point during the making of this record there is a definite understanding between each of them of their direction. And the rewards are ripe for our listening pleasure. Ukeleles, Banjos, Glockenspiel, Chimes, Mandolin, Recorder, Tin Whistle, Flute, there are a plethora of musical instruments used to create this world. And you can almost step into it, a world where only you, your imagination and nature exist. The magic of bringing two musical cultures together in such an unrefined and natural way really works and despite boundaries as great as this one, nothing can really stop creation. Heading almost blindly there must be a certain fear that it won't work but this record simply blossoms.
80%

Smile Down Upon Us on Myspace