{"product_id":"north-sea-radio-orchestra-special-powers","title":"North Sea Radio Orchestra - Special Powers","description":"\u003cp\u003eNSRO are very much a part of the 'Cardiacs Family' of bands and musicians; having personal and stylistic ties (harmonically and melodically) to Cardiacs and the music of the late Tim Smith generally; other bands in the 'scene' include Gong (and Kavus Torabi), Lost Crowns, William D Drake, Spratleys, Crayola Lectern etc. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Special Powers' is their fifth studio album and as ever, all material is written and produced by band leader, Craig Fortnam.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLike previous releases, 'Special Powers' features a mix of songs and instrumentals both large and small, inhabiting the psych\/chamber\/folk\/pop world that Craig has lived in for a while now. Indeed, fans of his solo work and Arch Garrison will recognise many of his trademark musical elements; strong emphasis on melody and chord combined with a clear rhythmic sense, a mixed palette of guitars, strings, wind, various keyboard instruments and percussion.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eCraig's music is often described as 'beautiful', 'English-sounding'; not sure why - probably the chords - which certainly do have a Vaughan Williams\/Cardiacs\/Dowland\/'Canterbury-esque' (etc etc) aspect, but with selective use of dissonance to add a little astringency and temper the bitter-sweet melancholy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003e“\u003cstrong\u003eNorth Sea Radio Orchestra\u003c\/strong\u003e might share with Britten and Vaughan Williams a kind of haunted melancholy that has come to be seen as characteristically English, but their music couldn’t have come from any other century than the 21st”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe Wire\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003e“Fortnam is a compositional powerhouse” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003eMOJO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003e“Part of a line of non-conformist ‘English’ composers that encompass \u003cstrong\u003eRobert Wyatt\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eWilliam D Drake\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eSimon Jeffes\u003c\/strong\u003e and others, Fortnam’s writing is quietly brilliant throughout”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eProg Mag\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003e“genuinely very beautiful”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eBBC\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003e“There can be few currently operating musicians around today who have a sound as distinctive as \u003cstrong\u003eCraig Fortnam\u003c\/strong\u003e’s. Whether solo or with \u003cstrong\u003eNorth Sea Radio Orchestra\u003c\/strong\u003e or \u003cstrong\u003eArch Garrison\u003c\/strong\u003e, his writing has a kind of zig-zagging melody that is part \u003cstrong\u003eRobert Wyatt\u003c\/strong\u003e, part early \u003cstrong\u003eKate Bush\u003c\/strong\u003e, part medieval, but all Fortnam”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eArts Desk\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BELIEVERS ROAST","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":53021620994390,"sku":"MRM-02414","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/6088\/9430\/files\/2d40bdd8b629bd52e4acf0052be64517.png?v=1775199504","url":"https:\/\/monorailmusic.com\/products\/north-sea-radio-orchestra-special-powers","provider":"Monorail Music","version":"1.0","type":"link"}