published: 17 /
12 /
2010
Review
Twenty years after the craze took off, Soars are revelling in all their shoegazing glory, channelling influences such as My Bloody Valentine, the Jesus and Mary Chain and the Cocteau Twins on their remarkable eponymous debut album.
As gloomy as the xx on a particularly bad day, as fond of distortion as M83, these peddlers of sonic despair offer up an atmospheric record, resplendent of haunting guitars, sprawling melodies and whispered lyrics, with songs which at turns feel starkly minimalist, and like a wall of sound.
‘Throw Yourself Apart’ is debatably the album’s standout track, yet even this is more of a dirge, its defiant opening drum tattoo giving way to distortion drenched verses. Even here, ethereal qualities are displayed, melancholy replaced with a sense of sombre dreaminess.
On the downside, a change of pace may have been refreshing somewhere along the line, as to listen to the entire album in one go is rather heavy going.
Yet, overall, ‘Soars’ is an intriguing, beguiling album that may or may not win over a wider audience. So here’s hoping that this band’s fortunes will soar like their enthralling debut album in the months to come.
Track Listing:-
1
Introduction
2
The Sun Breaks Every Way But One
3
Throw Yourself Apart
4
Escape On High
5
Ditches
6
Figurehead
7
Young Adult
8
Monolith
Have a Listen:-