I'm often told I stay loyal to things I really like, repeatedly lavishing them with plaudits and sticking by them through thick and thin (I think the 'thick and thin' part mainly relates to football and Prince!) so in keeping with that trait here's a friendly reminder about one of my favourite releases of the year so far, a guarantee to appear in my end of year lists (which I might have to start thinking about soon rather saying things like that), the proper debut full length album Enso by the incredible SoftSpot.
The Brooklyn based trio, primarily the work of Sarah Kinlaw and Byran Keller released their LP this week on digital / vinyl, I highly recommend you give it a listen and then a purchase, the vinyl is limited to just 250 copies and I'm looking forward to having one of them in the UK. Order / download / stream in full from bandcamp.
The album is a continual ride of superlatives that I can repeat from my past posts on the band "a wonderful layered sound that builds up to a wave of sonic wonder, its atmospheric build-up punctured by precise percussion. It's a sound that seems so carefully crafted yet performed so effortlessly" with "the combination of Sarah's hauntingly gorgeous vocal with momentum building textured guitar riffs", both those from my Introducing piece back in January 2011 when I first fell for the band and then moving forward to September last year (in reference to album track "Slack Tide"); "engrossing layers of melodies, wonderful guitar shredding riffs and to die for vocals." or about an earlier version of album track "Holy Father" "...an absolute monster. It starts peaceful enough, Sarah's hauntingly beautiful voice hits you straight away, it's unique, stunning. Accompanied by the rat-a-tat of drum sticks, slowly increasing in intensity as Brian's textured guitars glisten on the edge simmering until finally it explodes, cumulating in a euphoric cataclysm of aural pleasure, heavy-hitting drums, guitar buzz and hard bass-line riffs". This is a band whose sounds has it all.
More recently as the album launch came closer words about "The Cleansing Hour". "It's an absolutely beauty, slowly building upon mournful shades of melancholic guitar and a metronomic drum beat gently entwining around Sarah's softening vocals and bells until at the three minute point light is finally allowed to win and the track blossoms with Softspot's signature cataclysm of sumptuous, shimmering sounds which manage to induce just about every spine-tingling sensation possible before parting and finishing as it begun, with its stark backbeat outro" and most recent of all "Disciple Fix" "..building sumptuously with a fusion of fast paced tropical rhythms and eastern influences blending with Sarah's ethereal vocals, as sensual and gorgeous as ever..."
"I've said it before, I'll say it again, I love this band."
Got and get the album and check out the following, sensational live version of "The Cleansing Hour" whilst you're at it.
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