A Fortress Called Home
Adrienne Cowan keeps giving A Fortress Called Home a different face. She sings softly and clearly, reaches for large melodies and switches just as easily to fierce screams. Seven Spires build music around her that moves with equal freedom. Orchestral layers connect the sections, but the guitars and rhythm section remain firmly present.
Almosttown shows how this works. The song begins accessibly, with a chorus that is quick to remember. Harsh vocals and a lively finale then take it in another direction. The transitions usually feel logical: the band keeps hold of the melody even when the music grows heavier or busier. The technical playing has a clear purpose.
Love's Souvenir takes the contrast further. Quiet piano and violin give the song an intimate colour before it reaches a much more aggressive ending. The difference strengthens the emotion, while the build keeps it from feeling like a collection of disconnected ideas. Impossible Tower explores a slower, heavier sound instead. Even there, an identifiable melody remains.
The other musicians find enough space alongside Cowan. Jack Kosto's guitar parts add melodies worth following in their own right. On No Place for Us, both guitar and bass help carry the music forward. The full arrangement becomes much more than an elaborate backdrop for the voice.
A running time of over an hour does have a cost. The layers and changes of mood can become tiring, and the simulated orchestral sounds do not always have the warmth of the real violin. A little more space or a tighter selection would have helped. Still, most of the ambition pays off. Seven Spires make heavy, theatrical music with a strong melodic sense and enough substance to support its grand gestures.
