Recorded in a stone barn tucked away in a valley in Wales, surrounded by windswept moors — you know exactly where you are, and you get a very good sense of how The Foel Tower sounds. The album is the collaborative work of Bristol childhood friends Barney Matthews, Leo Fini, Matt Griffiths, and Tom Connolly. For those who remember Mount Kimbie’s second record, Cold Spring Fault Less Youth, this could be described as its rural counterpart.
Like Mount Kimbie, Quade were almost certainly out clubbing back in the day, and something distinctly Brit-electronic still runs through the veins of these songs. What spills out, though, is ambient-infused post-rock that isn’t afraid of pop sensibilities. At times, Quade drive their sound into harsher territory with drones, but as soon as the vocals enter, the warmth rebuilds itself — protective walls of softness forming around you.
That’s the great strength of these tracks: there’s always an undercurrent of unease. Even in the tender, folk-leaning moments, you can feel the presence of the outside world — a landscape charged with hardship, perhaps even loss. That tension defines The Foel Tower: it feels as though the band is simultaneously seeking refuge and expressing just how deeply they need it through the music itself.
The Foel Tower
