BBC Latest Rock & Indie Reviews: Tortoise - Beacons of Ancestorship
"A snappy combination of intellect and intuition."
June 24, 2009
Album review: Tortoise - 'Beacons Of Ancestorship'
Post-rock orginators back to their best
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7 / 10
Tortoise lost their way in recent years, with only 2004’s bland ‘It’s All Around You’ and an underwhelming collaboration with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy to their name. Thankfully, with ‘Beacons Of Ancestorship’, the post-rock pioneers have reshaped their sound. While the jazz doodling of ‘The Fall Of Seven Diamonds Plus One’ or the pastoral fizz of ‘Minors’ are pretty familiar, ‘Prepare Your Coffin’’s prog wibbling has the vigour of an unblemished priest dancing up the celestial staircase to finally meet with St Peter. Conversely, ‘Northern Something’ and ‘Yinxianghechengqi’ skronk hard. Tortoise have made a welcome escape from the dusty ’90s indie crypt.
Luke Turner
10
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"They have continued to craft songs that perpetually push both boundaries and interpretations."
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