Nights, album number four from Valerian Swing, is a bit of a funny one. It’s a little difficult to know what to make of it; it’s definitely best described as an acquired listen and it may take a few spins before you begin to appreciate it for what it is.
An instrumentally driven piece for the most part with only a few vocal interjections, Valerian Swing use the vocals as another instrument rather than as a lead role, and as a result as the band doesn’t need to rely on the vocals to progress, which makes the album more interesting as a whole – you never quite know what is going to take the lead role next, and each twist and turn brings something new. The flow is a little jerky as a result, making things a little more difficult to fully connect with, but nevertheless it is still worth sticking with.
A particular highlight is fourth track Four Horses. Opening with a striking and energetic introduction with a repeating melody that continues to crop up over the course of the song (it will wind up stuck in your head!) and the softer interjections help to give the song more emotion and depth.
Although not the easiest of listens, Valerian Swing have created an intriguing piece of work that will certainly grow on you the more you play it.
7/10
