Landscape shapes us, and since returning to England from a decade in Japan, Vic Mars has been exploring the landscape of his native Herefordshire with The Land And The Garden and Inner Roads And Outer Paths. If you’ve spent much time soaking up Herefordshire’s quiet rural beauty, you’ll know that one of the joys of walking its rolling hills is spotting the three sets of hills that loom on the horizon on clear days. To the east lie the Malvern Hills, to the north the Shropshire Hills, and to the west are the most dramatic, the Brecon Beacons. The moor-covered Beacons capture the imagination particularly strongly, being not only the highest of the three ranges but also the starkest and least developed. Moreover, there’s a rich vein of history and folklore.
If you have the chance to travel to the Beacons (recently renamed to the Welsh Bannau Brycheiniog National Park) you should jump at it, as it’s a spectacular region, carved by sheer force into dramatic shapes during the last ice age. If you’re unable, fear not: Vic Mars and Clay Pipe have enabled us. The art, as one would expect from a Clay Pipe release, is by Frances Castle and is extremely evocative. Those familiar with Vic Mars’ sound will feel right at home: there’s a knowing naïveté about the retro instrumentation that’s redolent of his joyful Curriculum for Schools and Colleges albums (if you’re a fan, as I am, you might be alarmed to realise that these came out in 2012 and ‘13 — a decade ago!) That’s not to say that his sound isn’t evolving: here, the Moog is particularly prominent, providing moments of real darkness.
The darkness is appropriate, for the Beacons can be a bleak, unforgiving place. Those curious enough to research the track titles will discover numerous instances of death, such as soldiers pushed beyond their limits by their trainer, resulting in collapse, the defeat of a Welsh army fighting for independence, and a young boy passing away in the hills after vanishing while visiting his grandparents. However, amidst these, there’s also abundant beauty and sporadic touches of humour. For instance, could the beeping noise in Maen Llia be a wry joke, hinting that the supposedly ancient standing stone was actually delivered by a reversing truck? In any case, there’s much to explore and Vic Mars is a charming guide. (Garreth Brooke)
a closer listen 