By: Chad Murray
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will washes in like a calm ocean wave utilising beautiful production from the band, it adds extra meaning and dimension to their name. The pads and guitars in ‘pain of an old wound’ embrace in serenity building an atmosphere and warmth that evokes the sensation of deep sea diving. Or, perhaps drinking a bottle of tequila in a warm bath. The underlying melancholy in the track crafted through suppressed chords which are gradually more evident as the track builds to a climax. The endearing, emotional magnetism of a piece of music whispering hints of someone who’s given up and came to terms with that is manifested here, whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger…and bonds us together. It’s awe-inspiring the range of emotions and themes such minimal instrumental music can convey, be water are masters of electronica, ambience and post-rock, trust me.
‘rest your eyes’ continues where ‘pain of an old wound’ subsides. Bubbling textural pads or perhaps samples, sooth the listener past the ‘pain of an old wound’ into a sedated ambience through gentle glass piano tones soft as a xylophone coo or a child’s first instrument. Simplicity often makes for good music but, I can’t help but, love the texture and skeletal nature of this track because of how much it actually gives from so little and yet, I can’t help but, feel that so much went into it. The silence at the end of the track helps to distance it nicely from the next piece.
Once again built primarily around pianos with campfire guitar hints, ‘a place to call home’ is a much thicker tracks in terms of layering and composition than those previous to it but, these layers help to give the track its own unique voice whilst still retaining the album’s sound of blissful subaquatic melodies by utilising charming pads and binaural tones.
I love a minimal piano composition. ‘quiet, broken admiration’ almost feels reflective to me and I don’t mean introspective although it is that too, like many of the songs on this EP, I mean that I hear this track and the title reflects my own state of silent admiration for the work as it accesses the fragilities in my nature. Human beings are simple creatures and the manipulation of certain familiar sounds can create knee-jerk reactions and emotions. This EP drags me to a lake inside my mind where I look down on the water and see myself for what I am…and I don’t like it all but, I don’t look away; sometimes it’s good to take a minute and evaluate things and when something so expertly gives you the opportunity to do so, it’s nice sometimes to turn your attention from reflecting on yourself to reflecting back on to it. Light refracts through the darkest corners, ‘will’ is a good example of this.
The closing track uses the same soft chimes of guys and textural pads seen through the album but, also features siren like hymns from string like instruments which call out like a lighthouse beckoning you out of the darkness as the EP comes to a close. ‘Faithful messenger’ they call it. A whale song reaching out to the deepest fathoms of hopelessness, picture yourself falling further and further down, knots below the submariner your last breath escapes you, your body inert and powerless when a hand reaches down and pulls you by the arm out of the water. The keyboard slowly dies out as a satisfying conclusion to the EP.
will I believe refers to the art of carrying on despite having lost hope, this album is a stunning accompaniment to a dark night of the soul, with arresting production from the band that endures effortlessly throughout the album to create a work that stands well as individual pieces or even better as one seamless whole.
