‘Love at Dusk’ is the beautiful new electronic album by Trouble Books – Keith Freund and Linda Lejsovka – who have created an effortlessly lush record that brims with colour, despite a gentle existence. It’s a classic Sunday afternoon record which, although created in the Midwestern United States, wholly encapsulates the moody British autumn. Chained to the shortening days of Fall by both its sounds and artwork, the entire experience of the album lends itself to this time of year.
‘Love at Dusk’ is the fourth full-length album from the Ohio duo, who have recently become parents for the first time. For their previous work, they enlisted the help of Mark Maguire, but this time they decided to go it alone, feeling that the inspiration for the work was of a more private and delicate nature. They describe the LP as the result of them “clinging to each other throughout tumultuous, difficult and exciting times of change,” adding that it reflects the uncertain evening hours that could easily go from a peaceful night in to a nervous rush to the hospital.
A blend of both electronic and acoustic sounds, ‘Love at Dusk’ is a record of warm, evolving synth soundscapes layered with building piano keys. Awash with vacuous bass lines, while conjuring a poignant atmosphere, the LP is at is strongest during the second track, ‘Profile of a Woman in a Silk Hood’, which nods along with a soothing, atmospheric vocal from Linda. The piano melody gradually slows down and is eventually stripped bare, before the pace and electronic instrumentation pick up once more. It’s a tender and infectious piece of music.
For me, Love at Dusk is a perfectly crafted record. It’s very distinctive and seems to be influenced by artists such as Peter Gabriel, Prefab Sprout and Kate Bush; apparently borrowing elements from all three. The album was written and recorded during Linda’s pregnancy and, although the couple claim “it’s definitely not an album about a baby or becoming parents,” it certainly does have that warm optimism of new life. The tracks are born out of simple, organic piano hooks, which are spoon-fed layers of electronics to grow into prosperous songs full of spirit and emotion.
Freund and Lejskova have poured huge amounts of love and feeling into the album. Its structures and ideas, saddening tempo, malfunctioning electronics and “softly, softly” approach to vocals give rise to an almost cinematic experience, transporting the listener to the pine forests of the Mid-West and beyond. Tracks like ‘Dawn Behind Clouds’, ‘Fake Fern Shadows’ and ‘All Flowers’ underpin its natural complexion and form a slow-burning yet enriching soundtrack.
The record feels like it sounds exactly how Trouble Books intended it to, daydreaming its way from start to finish. Hastier tracks such as ‘All Flowers’ are contrasted with spacious, slower numbers like ‘Chiaroscuro’, which transposes the hectic world of hospitals with the eventual relaxation when the door is closed behind the chaos and a new family unit begins. The album finds clarity among the apparent challenges experienced by its creators during a rapidly shifting personal situation.
I adore ‘Love at Dusk’, which is to be issued on vinyl in a limited run of 400 copies, released November 18th with abstract artwork by Jacob Feige. Handily it also comes with an MP3 download code and is available to pre-order now.
