A Winged Victory For The Sullen – Iris

A collaboration between musicians Adam Wiltzie and Dustin O'Halloran formed in memory of Sparklehorse frontman Mark Linkous, AWVTS’s debut album is peaceful and contemplative, evoking feelings of melancholic mindfulness in the listener with beautiful slow strings, open chords, layered tones and tender piano notes offering unobtrusive and calming textures. Its follow up, ATOMOS, is perhaps more purposeful, written as it was to score a ballet. More pronounced in its movements, ATOMOS offers up conventional classical string and woodwind, with organ, synth and electric guitar tones and washes creating lush landscapes which further define the duo’s sound.

Iris, their third album, provides the score to Jalil Lespert’s French language thriller of the same name. I’ve not seen the film, and beyond being a mystery about the disappearance of a business woman’s wife I’ve no idea of the plot, so I have listened to the album completely independent of its context.

This music is clearly providing a score to an (as yet) unseen narrative. The pieces presented here are short and dramatic in their conception, clearly punctuating and accompanying moments of high drama or tension. Whilst AWVFTS still provide their very welcome delicate strings, sonic soundscapes, drones and progressions, electronic instruments now occupy more of the foreground, providing sinister overtones to a gorgeously familiar sonic palette and serving to further advance the AWVTS sound. They are a welcome addition, making for a bold and mature sound – this is not a pair of collaborators resting in safe territory, rather a pair of musicians continually pushing their musical boundaries.

The first piece, Prologue Iris, contains an haunting and hypnotic ear worm arpeggio theme which is confident and beautiful, merged with the familiar droning AWVTS string arrangements before a sinister sounding pulsating synth bassline introduces drama and tension to the piece. Retour Au Champ De Mars continues the electronic, offering up pulsating synth oscillations in sinister contrast to a delicate slow string accompaniment. Gare Du Nord contains a gorgeous transition, opening with beautiful droning strings before a pulsating synth line seemingly ushers in some kind of cinematic revelation. Le Retour en Forêt provides further tension and claustrophobia, whilst Galerie and Comme on a Dit return to the familiar and emotionally perfect AWVFTS piano and string arrangements.

Iris has actually been out for a while on digital format, but I held off from listening to it until I had received the physical vinyl edition. I’ve opted for the “super limited edition of 250” Rough Trade Red vinyl edition. The physical format is as rewarding as ever. The sleeve offers the film poster is 12” format but the font and text is in familiar AWVFTS territory. The Erased Tapes quality in execution is evident - resplendent red vinyl in a poly lined paper inner bag. The physical format comes with a download code for the digital version which includes a number of bonus tracks which really don’t fit with the incidental score. They were rightfully excluded from the vinyl version.

I started out not feeling convinced this works as a standalone AWVFTS work. It’s distinctly a film score. However, after a few listens I am starting to get hooked. This album rewards repeat listens. It’s well worth seeking out.