The Hills Mover - Before The Wind (EP)
Underneath the black hoodie of singer/songwriter The Hills Mover crouches Grégoire Fray, a French musician living in Brussels (also brain of post-rock/industrial gang THOT). Over the past years he has taken to the stage alone with his folk guitar. Now, synthetic and organic sounds form his new four-song EP “Before the Wind”. Released for this 40th birthday (6th of January), this EP witnesses Fray’s constant need for novelty and exploration, an echo of his several and endless lonely tours across Europe. This is where he feels at home, with his backpack and his guitar, ears wide open to peoplestories from which he draws his inspiration.
From the first chords of the opening track March of the Seeds you are drawn into the world of darkness, mysticism and rituals. The arrangement and the vocal delivery alike carry a strong resemblance to Nick Cave. The steady banging of the drum throughout the song sounds like a heartbeat and guide us through the haunting song.
Silver Sleep is an atmospheric, more electronic, dreamy composition that takes you on a journey into your mind. It makes you wonder what's going on behind the closed eyes when you sleep. The composition wakes up your imagination and you can see all the colours and images in your mind's eye.
Setting different mood with Return, The Hills Mover brings more dramatic mood into play. We're back into the world of rituals, in the deep darkness of the night. The whispered parts of the track only add to the urgency of the vocal delivery. There's ongoing sense of restlessness.
The title track Before The Wind changes the vibe yet again into more peaceful. Soft piano ballad where the vocal truly takes center stage. The overall feeling also differs from the previous songs on the album, it's more relaxed, slightly romantic, as if there was a light at the end of a tunnel.