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The Ballad of Elm Tree Hill

from All That Remains by The Left Outsides

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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £1 GBP  or more

     

  • COLOUR Vinyl LP (Cardinal Fuzz/Feeding Tube Records)
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    ** Ships 21st May 2018**

    This is a limited edition COLOUR Vinyl LP release from Cardinal Fuzz (UK) and Feeding Tube records (USA). For USA sales please visit feedingtuberecords.com

    Counting their live CDR from 2007, All That Remains is the fifth album by Walthamstow's finest duo since at least the halcyon days of Bevis Frond's Inner Marshland.
    Hard to pin down with any certitude, the music created by The Left Outsides varies from track to track and even moment to moment. Alison Cotton's vocals, harmonium and viola blend with Mark Nicholas's voice, bass, guitar, piano and drums in ways that recall everything from Kendra Smith and David Roback's drony duo, Opal (on “Down to the Waterside”), to PJ Harvey covering an old Blondie tune as a dirge (on “Naming Shadows Was Your Existence”).
    But the basic pulse of All That Remains most often reminds me of either current work by Massachusetts' estimable Damon and Naomi, or the sound of Pearls Before Swine around the time of their third LP, These Things Two. Like those combos, The Left Outsides manage to swap and mix male and female vocals without altering the elegiac dream-heft of their overall sound. They do this while maintaining a vibe that feels indebted to the mists of wood and dale far more than the bustle of London.
    And the instrumental arrangements are never too far from the light touch of the folk-rock classicism perfected in the UK and Holland as the '60s slid into the '70s. Most of the sounds seem more like meditations upon this period than any attempt at recreation, however, which also aligns the band with certain threads that emerged in the '80s uk psych underground just before raves took over.
    All of which makes this a beautiful and outstanding record, and one that especially rewards the deep concentration of what is euphemistically called “late night listening.” It's a very special spin.

    Byron Coley, 2018

    ======== PRESS QUOTES ========

    The Guardian
    FOLK ALBUM OF THE MONTH (May 2018)
    4*
    “This record drifts when you first hear it, beguiling you with its sweetness, before its shadows start to linger, and its darker moments eat you whole”.
    Jude Rogers

    Folk Radio
    "Even after several plays, All That Remains remains an enigmatic record, whose resolutely beautiful meanderings are destined to haunt the listener, albeit in ways difficult to verbally assess in columns such as these; you simply have to get immersed in Mark and Alison’s visionary music – don’t leave yourself outside!"
    (David Kidman)

    Textura Magazine
    "Think hypnotic tunes that flirt with prog, pop, folk, rock, and even punk, and sometimes within the same song and you'll have some idea of this special album's appeal........Byron Coley calls All That Remains “a very special spin,” and he's not far wrong in that regard".
    (Ron Schepper)

    Terrascope
    “We’ve probably run out of superlatives with which to shower on wife/husband duo Alison Cotton (viola and voice) and Mark Nicholas (guitar and vocals) – see reviews passim. Such is the siren-like allure of this their fifth album (their second on Cardinal Fuzz and which gets a US release courtesy of old ‘Scope mate Byron Coley’s Feeding Tube imprint), though, that we just can’t resist trying to do it something approaching justice without, hopefully, resorting to too many tired clichés of our own making……..It has a foot in the past and gives a nod to the present, while the Left Outsides have their eye firmly fixed to the future. Nothing here outstays its welcome. Long may it, and they, run”.
    (Ian Fraser)

    Goldmine Mag
    “A London duo that feels a lot larger, guitar and viola duelling alongside the voices of Alison Cotton and Mark Nicholas, it’s a sound that has drawn comparisons from as far afield as acidic psych and Nico-id desolation, and both extremes are fair.
    “The Ballad of Elm Tree Hill” is as stark as a slice of Desertshore (although that may just be the viola talking); “The Unbroken Circle” is the Creation jamming Sandy Denny. But “Down to the Waterside” could be Nick Drake musing over a jam jar full of insects, and “Clothed In Ivy, Obscured By Dust” might have a title that Dead Can Dance would die for, but it’s propelled by a solid Kinks rhythm, circa the album or two before Face to Face. All of which sounds like it could be a jumble, but it works with almost malicious glee, pushing its own frontiers to one side, but always keeping the furthest extremities in sight. So we slip from the keening morbidity of “All That I Danced With Are Gone,” Cotton’s always-heart-lifting vocal fly-tipping pain across a tune that’s not quite a melody, to the plaintive near-plainsong of “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and then a title track that could have spent the night putting lyrics to a Sigur Ros mid-section. Which still sounds like a jumble, but it isn’t. The Left Outsides say “come on in,” and you’d be a fool not to listen”.
    (Dave Thompson)

    Off Beat Music
    “‘All That Remains’ is the fifth album by The Left Outsides and it is one of those albums which merits full album, in the correct order of songs headphone listening.  The classic way, so to speak. Because that is what this albums encapsulates: ….. “All That Remains” is a classical folk album that is inspired by its creators and imprinted with their unmistakable musical trademark”.
    (Alice Peters-Burns)

    HeathenMofo Blog
    "There are times when the album feels ancient with John Barleycorn overtones, other times it may seem almost whimsical, or foreboding. Whatever emotion or story they are telling, it is done so with an almost melancholic beauty".
    (Iain Wiltshire)

    Includes unlimited streaming of All That Remains via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more

    Sold Out

  • BLACK Vinyl LP (Cardinal Fuzz/Feeding Tube Records)
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    This is a limited edition BLACK Vinyl LP release from Cardinal Fuzz (UK) and Feeding Tube Records (USA). For USA sales, please visit feedingtuberecords.com

    Counting their live CDR from 2007, All That Remains is the fifth album by Walthamstow's finest duo since at least the halcyon days of Bevis Frond's Inner Marshland.
    Hard to pin down with any certitude, the music created by The Left Outsides varies from track to track and even moment to moment. Alison Cotton's vocals, harmonium and viola blend with Mark Nicholas's voice, bass, guitar, piano and drums in ways that recall everything from Kendra Smith and David Roback's drony duo, Opal (on “Down to the Waterside”), to PJ Harvey covering an old Blondie tune as a dirge (on “Naming Shadows Was Your Existence”).
    But the basic pulse of All That Remains most often reminds me of either current work by Massachusetts' estimable Damon and Naomi, or the sound of Pearls Before Swine around the time of their third LP, These Things Two. Like those combos, The Left Outsides manage to swap and mix male and female vocals without altering the elegiac dream-heft of their overall sound. They do this while maintaining a vibe that feels indebted to the mists of wood and dale far more than the bustle of London.
    And the instrumental arrangements are never too far from the light touch of the folk-rock classicism perfected in the UK and Holland as the '60s slid into the '70s. Most of the sounds seem more like meditations upon this period than any attempt at recreation, however, which also aligns the band with certain threads that emerged in the '80s uk psych underground just before raves took over.
    All of which makes this a beautiful and outstanding record, and one that especially rewards the deep concentration of what is euphemistically called “late night listening.” It's a very special spin.

    Byron Coley, 2018

    ======== PRESS QUOTES ========

    The Guardian
    FOLK ALBUM OF THE MONTH (May 2018)
    4*
    “This record drifts when you first hear it, beguiling you with its sweetness, before its shadows start to linger, and its darker moments eat you whole”.
    Jude Rogers

    Mojo
    4*
    "Continuing to redefine English acid-folk this London husband and wife duo's fifth album pins ghostly tales to hypnotic harmonium, viola, piano, guitar. Atop sits Alison Cotton's austere vocals, utterly captivating and spine tingling"
    Lois Wilson

    The Wire
    "There's also a genuinely spooky air to their songs - enhanced by the use of field recordings - which recalls the noss-strewn folk rock of Bedfordshire's Wolf People".
    Joseph Standard

    Shindig! Magazine
    4*
    "Their latest album cements their burgeoning reputation as one of the finest songwriting partnerships on these isles".
    Johnnie Johnstone

    Prog Magazine
    "The dramatic chords and cantering fuzz guitar of 'The Unbroken Circle', the opening track on 'All That Remains' is the first of many imaginative elements on the fifth album by the duo from Walthamstow....The sounds of rainfall and birdsong heighten the pastoral effect and how could you fail to be intrigued by titles such as 'Naming Shadows Was Your Existence' and 'Clothed In Ivy, Obscured By Dust'
    Paul Sexton

    Folk Radio
    "Even after several plays, All That Remains remains an enigmatic record, whose resolutely beautiful meanderings are destined to haunt the listener, albeit in ways difficult to verbally assess in columns such as these; you simply have to get immersed in Mark and Alison’s visionary music – don’t leave yourself outside!"
    (David Kidman)

    Echoes And Dust
    “If any album deserves to be the sleeper hit of the year it is this one, and it should find itself perched high when it comes to the inevitable albums of the year”.
    Martyn Coppack

    Textura Magazine
    "Think hypnotic tunes that flirt with prog, pop, folk, rock, and even punk, and sometimes within the same song and you'll have some idea of this special album's appeal........Byron Coley calls All That Remains “a very special spin,” and he's not far wrong in that regard".
    (Ron Schepper)

    Terrascope
    “We’ve probably run out of superlatives with which to shower on wife/husband duo Alison Cotton (viola and voice) and Mark Nicholas (guitar and vocals) – see reviews passim. Such is the siren-like allure of this their fifth album (their second on Cardinal Fuzz and which gets a US release courtesy of old ‘Scope mate Byron Coley’s Feeding Tube imprint), though, that we just can’t resist trying to do it something approaching justice without, hopefully, resorting to too many tired clichés of our own making……..It has a foot in the past and gives a nod to the present, while the Left Outsides have their eye firmly fixed to the future. Nothing here outstays its welcome. Long may it, and they, run”.
    (Ian Fraser)

    Goldmine Mag
    “A London duo that feels a lot larger, guitar and viola duelling alongside the voices of Alison Cotton and Mark Nicholas, it’s a sound that has drawn comparisons from as far afield as acidic psych and Nico-id desolation, and both extremes are fair.
    “The Ballad of Elm Tree Hill” is as stark as a slice of Desertshore (although that may just be the viola talking); “The Unbroken Circle” is the Creation jamming Sandy Denny. But “Down to the Waterside” could be Nick Drake musing over a jam jar full of insects, and “Clothed In Ivy, Obscured By Dust” might have a title that Dead Can Dance would die for, but it’s propelled by a solid Kinks rhythm, circa the album or two before Face to Face. All of which sounds like it could be a jumble, but it works with almost malicious glee, pushing its own frontiers to one side, but always keeping the furthest extremities in sight. So we slip from the keening morbidity of “All That I Danced With Are Gone,” Cotton’s always-heart-lifting vocal fly-tipping pain across a tune that’s not quite a melody, to the plaintive near-plainsong of “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and then a title track that could have spent the night putting lyrics to a Sigur Ros mid-section. Which still sounds like a jumble, but it isn’t. The Left Outsides say “come on in,” and you’d be a fool not to listen”.
    (Dave Thompson)

    Ripple Music
    “Its heavy, heartfelt and enigmatic in scope. A record that will appeal to those who prefer the finer things in life.......Let this one sink in and you’ll understand how magnificent a listen it is.”
    Bucky Brown

    Off Beat Music
    “‘All That Remains’ is the fifth album by The Left Outsides and it is one of those albums which merits full album, in the correct order of songs headphone listening.  The classic way, so to speak. Because that is what this albums encapsulates: ….. “All That Remains” is a classical folk album that is inspired by its creators and imprinted with their unmistakable musical trademark”.
    (Alice Peters-Burns)

    HeathenMofo Blog
    "There are times when the album feels ancient with John Barleycorn overtones, other times it may seem almost whimsical, or foreboding. Whatever emotion or story they are telling, it is done so with an almost melancholic beauty".
    (Iain Wiltshire)

    El Correo Blog
    "The prestigious music journalist, Byron Coley, who has written the press release, says that 'Naming Shadows Was Your Existence' sounds like "PJ Harvey covering an old Blondie song as a dirge", but it could also be Black Sabbath joining a Holy Company headed by Sandy Denny"
    Carlos Benito

    The Psychedelicatessen
    "It’s a record that is a well balanced blend of “classic” Psych/Folk Rock influences and more stripped back atmospheric songs that really is quite wonderful and well worth your attention".

    Harmonic Distortion
    "They're all about great songs, beautifully sung and played. There's a timeless quality to their album"

    Soundblab
    "I really enjoyed The Left Outsides’ album The Shape of Things to Come. The band has a legacy of well-played highly melodic records with really nice cover art. But this album really ups the ante. It’s a beauty. And high drama and passion are cut into the grooves"
    Bill Golembeski

    Includes unlimited streaming of All That Remains via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more

    Sold Out

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Sam Giles CD-R edition in hand made replica vinyl sleeve and vinyl style CD-R. Includes insert card.

    Counting their live CDR from 2007, All That Remains is the fifth album by Walthamstow's finest duo since at least the halcyon days of Bevis Frond's Inner Marshland.
    Hard to pin down with any certitude, the music created by The Left Outsides varies from track to track and even moment to moment. Alison Cotton's vocals, harmonium and viola blend with Mark Nicholas's voice, bass, guitar, piano and drums in ways that recall everything from Kendra Smith and David Roback's drony duo, Opal (on “Down to the Waterside”), to PJ Harvey covering an old Blondie tune as a dirge (on “Naming Shadows Was Your Existence”).
    But the basic pulse of All That Remains most often reminds me of either current work by Massachusetts' estimable Damon and Naomi, or the sound of Pearls Before Swine around the time of their third LP, These Things Two. Like those combos, The Left Outsides manage to swap and mix male and female vocals without altering the elegiac dream-heft of their overall sound. They do this while maintaining a vibe that feels indebted to the mists of wood and dale far more than the bustle of London.
    And the instrumental arrangements are never too far from the light touch of the folk-rock classicism perfected in the UK and Holland as the '60s slid into the '70s. Most of the sounds seem more like meditations upon this period than any attempt at recreation, however, which also aligns the band with certain threads that emerged in the '80s uk psych underground just before raves took over.
    All of which makes this a beautiful and outstanding record, and one that especially rewards the deep concentration of what is euphemistically called “late night listening.” It's a very special spin.

    Byron Coley, February 2018

    ======== PRESS QUOTES ========

    The Guardian
    FOLK ALBUM OF THE MONTH (May 2018)
    4*
    “This record drifts when you first hear it, beguiling you with its sweetness, before its shadows start to linger, and its darker moments eat you whole”.
    Jude Rogers

    Folk Radio
    "Even after several plays, All That Remains remains an enigmatic record, whose resolutely beautiful meanderings are destined to haunt the listener, albeit in ways difficult to verbally assess in columns such as these; you simply have to get immersed in Mark and Alison’s visionary music – don’t leave yourself outside!"
    (David Kidman)

    Textura Magazine
    "Think hypnotic tunes that flirt with prog, pop, folk, rock, and even punk, and sometimes within the same song and you'll have some idea of this special album's appeal........Byron Coley calls All That Remains “a very special spin,” and he's not far wrong in that regard".
    (Ron Schepper)

    Terrascope
    “We’ve probably run out of superlatives with which to shower on wife/husband duo Alison Cotton (viola and voice) and Mark Nicholas (guitar and vocals) – see reviews passim. Such is the siren-like allure of this their fifth album (their second on Cardinal Fuzz and which gets a US release courtesy of old ‘Scope mate Byron Coley’s Feeding Tube imprint), though, that we just can’t resist trying to do it something approaching justice without, hopefully, resorting to too many tired clichés of our own making……..It has a foot in the past and gives a nod to the present, while the Left Outsides have their eye firmly fixed to the future. Nothing here outstays its welcome. Long may it, and they, run”.
    (Ian Fraser)

    Goldmine Mag
    “A London duo that feels a lot larger, guitar and viola duelling alongside the voices of Alison Cotton and Mark Nicholas, it’s a sound that has drawn comparisons from as far afield as acidic psych and Nico-id desolation, and both extremes are fair.
    “The Ballad of Elm Tree Hill” is as stark as a slice of Desertshore (although that may just be the viola talking); “The Unbroken Circle” is the Creation jamming Sandy Denny. But “Down to the Waterside” could be Nick Drake musing over a jam jar full of insects, and “Clothed In Ivy, Obscured By Dust” might have a title that Dead Can Dance would die for, but it’s propelled by a solid Kinks rhythm, circa the album or two before Face to Face. All of which sounds like it could be a jumble, but it works with almost malicious glee, pushing its own frontiers to one side, but always keeping the furthest extremities in sight. So we slip from the keening morbidity of “All That I Danced With Are Gone,” Cotton’s always-heart-lifting vocal fly-tipping pain across a tune that’s not quite a melody, to the plaintive near-plainsong of “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and then a title track that could have spent the night putting lyrics to a Sigur Ros mid-section. Which still sounds like a jumble, but it isn’t. The Left Outsides say “come on in,” and you’d be a fool not to listen”.
    (Dave Thompson)

    Off Beat Music
    “‘All That Remains’ is the fifth album by The Left Outsides and it is one of those albums which merits full album, in the correct order of songs headphone listening. The classic way, so to speak. Because that is what this albums encapsulates: ….. “All That Remains” is a classical folk album that is inspired by its creators and imprinted with their unmistakable musical trademark”.
    (Alice Peters-Burns)

    HeathenMofo Blog
    "There are times when the album feels ancient with John Barleycorn overtones, other times it may seem almost whimsical, or foreboding. Whatever emotion or story they are telling, it is done so with an almost melancholic beauty".
    (Iain Wiltshire)

    Includes unlimited streaming of All That Remains via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more
    ships out within 3 days

      £10 GBP or more 

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 12 The Left Outsides releases available on Bandcamp and save 30%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Alison Cotton Live at Cafe Oto, London - 27 October 2021, The Girl I Left Behind Me, Are You Sure I Was There?, Only Darkness Now, A Place to Hide, Behind the Spider Web Gate, All Is Quiet At The Ancient Theatre, All That Remains, and 4 more. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      £49 GBP or more (30% OFF)

     

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from All That Remains, released May 21, 2018

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The Left Outsides London, UK

The Left Outsides are: Mark Nicholas and Alison Cotton, a wife and husband duo based in London, England whose atmospheric, hypnotic songs echo Nico's icy European folk, pastoral psychedelia and chilly English fields at dawn.

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