The artists formerly known as Husk have re-imaged themselves as Sail and named after canvas and not the Awolnation song, they paint a majestic picture of beautiful sonic topography on their debut album Slumbersong, mapping a haunting voyage between sludge and shoegaze.
These guys have been playing together for a while now and have undeniably found their sound as Sail. These cohesive layers of phase locked guitar, verbal conviction and pleasantly uncomplicated rhythms are rampant in eliciting an emotional response. Sail have got a tough gale behind them but are cruising on tumultuous waves without a sweat here. It’s music so good that it paves the way for some good old pontification.
As the journey of Slumbersong embarks with an inspirational chord arrangement so too does the rest of the album reflect that inertia. Suavely grooving with hooks which move with an articulate group of prog-lite riffs that are charming in a downtempo strut. The action coming from riffvaders Charlie Dowzell and Tim Kazer is both strong and alluring with a seductive manner. Slumbersong substitutes sleep with killer riffs in a bid to set you off into another plane of thought and is the perfect median of art and noise.
It’s really not bad for a debut (as in it’s fucking excellent and will have your neck gyrating like an aroused penis to its moist hierarchy of songs) however it’s not the first thing these guys have written together so in a sense their experience shines and diligence shines through. The songs are designed with a live set in mind but this studio recording does an excelsior job of capturing the magic of a surprisingly good night rife with good vibrations. Good vibrations set in stone so to speak or to compliment its complexity: a time crystal of forces beyond mere human activity. It’s dreamy music with a beard and a plaid shirt, what’s not to like?
9/10
