WHEREVER THERE IS LIGHT

Sweet EP!

Melancholy, heaven, sadness, charm, tranquility, etc., are words that come to my mind everytime I listen to No-Man, that Bowness/Wilson project that easily makes an effect on the listener, increasing their sensibility and expanding their senses (at least that happens to me). No-Man is one of those bands that I can listen no matter my mood, it is my partner when I am sad, tense, enthusiastic or even happy, that is one of the things I love of them.

When I listened to "Wherever there is Light" (the song) I immediately fell in love with it, which is why I wanted to get their EP with the same name. Released in 2009, it features five songs, three of them are actually unreleased tracks, while the last two are live versions of past songs. Here we will have 25 minutes of wonderful No-Man music.

Starting with the titled track, I cannot ask for more, I don't really know if the effect that this song had with me had something to do with my personal situation at that time, because it may not be the most elaborated composition, but emotionally it really moves me, and I truly believe is one of the touchiest No-Man songs ever, and I dare say, one of their best. It is simply beautiful, and enchanting, the piano and the atmosphere is brilliant, and that along with Bowness voice makes it very special; worth mentioning also the flute sound added by Theo Travis.

"Death was California" has a nice acoustic guitar, a calm rhythm and again a beautiful sound. One can be resting, lying in the bed and letting the music do the rest. It takes away your tension and makes the moment wonderful. "Counting" has a constant percussion sound as background, later new electronic noises are added and are repeated time after time, the guitars sound very delicate but they are also present all the time, just as Tim's voice charms us once again. The surprise here is that the melancholic sound ends after two minutes when a tense and dark atmosphere appears, with great guitars and without the voice. Here we could appreciate two faces of No-Man in one single track, another great thing!

"Carolina Skeletons" is the first live track included here, this is a song released for the album "Returning Jesus" , this live performance is better than the studio version, with a couple of minutes more of music and with a great violin and guitar playing on stage. The last track is "All the Blue Changes" which I would really like to witness someday in a concert. Bowness and the musicians really connect each other and create a wonderful atmosphere, an ecstasy that the audience surely felt and loved.

This is an excellent EP. I like the decision of combining those three studio tracks with the final two live ones, and well, the title track simply kills me. My personal grade would be four stars, but I believe that objectively it deserves three stars.

Enjoy it!

This is an EP by No-man which features "Wherever There is Light" from the album "Schoolyard Ghosts". Is it possible that this is one of the most beautiful songs ever written? I absolutely love this song. It is a perfect song for Tim Bowness' vocals, which are mesmerizing and aching, but you also get a guest flute from Theo Travis and pedal steel guitar from Bruce Kaphan on top of this, if that weren't already enough in itself. There are no words for this song, other than absolutely beautiful, poignant, and emotional.

The next two tracks are exclusively made for this EP. "Death Was California", like the title track, has got that alternative-country flair. It is also a nice song, with a pensive feel and Steven Wilson's atmospheric guitar work. This one is more ambient than the previous, but still a lovely track that fits right in next to the title track. "Counting" has more of a percussive rhythm to it than the previous two tracks. It is still pensive in the beginning, but it suddenly explodes into life halfway through with more guitar work and a dark feel. After the previous soft feel of the EP, this comes as a surprise, but it isn't out of place.

Following this, are 2 live tracks taken from the Autumn 2008 tour. The track "Carolina Skeletons" originally from "Returning Jesus" is given the live treatment here, and is a great pick for this EP. Another beautiful song, the emotional quality is even enhanced by the live performance, and with a live band, it works to add even more depth to the track than the studio version. The electric violin/guitar duet by Steve Bingham and Wilson is amazing and works to build the tension needed at the end of the song. "All the Blue Changes" originally from "Together We're Stranger" is the 2nd live track, this is another beauty of a song that is even better in this live setting for the same reasons as the previous track. This one builds tension throughout the track to the explosive ending. Amazing!

This is an excellent EP and is a good example of No-man's sound in the later part of their career. It is a good way to be introduced to their later music. Unfortunately, it had a limited pressing and might be difficult to find, but it is one that is worth searching for because of the haunting beauty of the songs. But if you can't find it, at least get yourself hooked up with the album "Schoolyard Ghosts" so that you can listen to "Wherever There is Light" if nothing else. It is such a beautiful, amazing song. Yes, I believe it is one of the most beautiful songs ever. I could easily give this 5 stars, but since it is so short, I must give it 4.