The ambient country is a relatively new term describing a genre that often involves guitars of any variety to create mostly instrumental music that creates vast spatial soundscapes with elements of roots, country, and folk music, not necessarily tied with Americana.
That ‘other than’ element roams prominent on the new release from the Maltese dark folk duo Tryst Arcane (Julian Grech, Alexia Baldacchino), who on their latest offering Sun of Other Days also work along with Maltese guitarist Emanuel Portelli.
The album’s five elongated tracks have that feel of vast sea spaces that artists originating from an island like Malta can feel in their bones. And it is that feel that is at one moment calm and serene, and at the other deeply dark as if it is sensing an upcoming sea storm whose arrival is so close.
Vocals are present, but more as a mood companion rather than an element that dominates the compositions, with words, like on ‘August Reveries’ barely audible, coming from somewhere in the distance. On ‘Lura’ they include lyrics in their native language as to stress that Maltese and Mediterranean feel, presenting an effective close to this album. Ambient country Mediterranean style.
