There’s a deceptively comforting, acoustic opening to this, the band’s self-titled début. It’s a bit hazy, as if they’re just awakening, not quite sure how they feel, but taking tentative steps to find out, and enjoying them. You would be forgiven for thinking, from the opening, that these guys are yet another in a long-line of bands who want to follow Travis, Coldplay, et al into the tuneful but safe arms of Radio 2 and Absolute Radio. As the album continues, though, it becomes far spikier, more in the vain of I Am Kloot – tunefully smooth guitar lines with real lyrical bite. There are also subtle hints of My Bloody Valentine, with the beginning acoustic guitars slowly giving way to dense and hazily structured riffs, which again, only add to the album’s appeal. In short, then, this album is a bit moody, a bit romantic and the perfect soundtrack to a summer’s day.
White Sails is released in June / July 2013 on Ruska
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