| Allmusic |
 Ben Curtis' desertion of Secret Machines and the breakup of On!Air!Library! was justified by this group's first single, a sky-gliding confection that modernized the sighing, swirling, private-dancefloor sides of Medicine, Seefeel, and My Bloody Valentine. Included as the finale on Alpinisms, the debut album from Curtis and O!A!L!'s singing Deheza twins, "My Cabal" has the feel of a bonus track; the later recordings that precede it, despite remaining squarely within the domain of late '80s/early '90s dream-pop in terms of inspiration, are relatively individualist, going well beyond the lucid psychedelia and discreet flickers of Afro-beat and contemporary pop. What pushes these songs past mere worship involves cunning collisions of robust rhythm, caressing noise, and heavenly melody, with each element equally crucial. Good shoegaze/dream-pop bands mastered one of them; the most exceptional of the heap, like this group, had all three down. The most striking example here is "Wired for Light," seemingly spawned by Siouxsie & the Banshees' "Peek-A-Boo" and M/A/R/R/S' "Anitina," full of clacking percussion that rattles the ribs, Middle Eastern accents, gale-force atmospherics, and layered vocals that could be casting a spell. Other than a trip on the Krautrock railway to oblivion that occurs throughout the 12-minute "Sempiternal/Amaranth," not much resembles any of the members' past work. The Dehezas have found their true calling, their voices a better match for these crisp supernatural bliss-outs than the jagged, thorny sound of their former band. Unsurprisingly, there's a touch of otherness to the lyrics, apparently written as communications between (evidently English speaking) members of a mythical pickpocketing academy -- called School of Seven Bells -- located in Colombia. No, you wouldn't know it without being told, and though most of the words can be made out, they're secondary to the sound of the absorbing voices swarming throughout these impossibly vibrant songs....full text |
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| Tinymixtapes |
Alpinisms, the title of School of Seven Bells’ debut record, is not a misnomer. As far back as November 2007, Benjamin Curtis (formerly of Secret Machines, and guitarist and chief sonic maestro for School of Seven Bells) divulged that a record had been completed, but had undergone constant revision. Evidently, the adjustments continued throughout 2008, until Curtis and the Deheza twins (Claudia and Alejandra, formerly of On! Air! Library!) were finally satisfied. In the spirit of alpinists, the group scaled monumental obstacles, offering a meticulously crafted album that was well worth the wait.
A reggaeton drum stomp opens “Iamundernodisguise,” a preview of the exotic influences found within the album. School of Seven Bells take their name from a South American myth, and fittingly, they appropriate ethnic influences all over their debut. Their affinity for the alien is heard later on the ominous “Prince of Peace” and “Wired for Light,” the latter’s thick guitar conjuring what sounds like a digital sandstorm from a sci-fi Middle East. Rather than sounding pretentious or gimmicky, these amalgams of progressive soundscapes, guitar, synth, and organic and electronic percussion actually sound natural....full text |
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| Villagevoice |
| When most artists leave their already-successful bands to do something new, it's usually because they desire more of the spotlight. Not so with former Secret Machines guitarist Benjamin Curtis: His new band, School of Seven Bells, is a far more meditative and electronic affair dominated by former On!Air!Library! entrancers Alejandra and Claudia Deheza, who sing in mesmerizing siren-song unison, even if they sound like a grade-A hookah-bar act at times. Alpinisms takes two paths: Tracks like "My Cabal" and "Half Asleep" create a subtle floating effect, ethereal and sweet-sounding, vacillating freely from dreamy shoegaze pop to a more tribal, dance-oriented thing; "Iamundernodisguise" and "Wired for Light" both riff on heavy drumbeats and an underlying layer of hazy, stuttering feedback....full text |
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