First Glances – Tomorrow We Sail
Tomorrow We Sail are a seven-strong Leeds collective and the latest addition to the Gizeh stable. Early samples suggest Tomorrow We Sail are blending everything that is right about this exceptional label within one ensemble. Like a neo-classical iLiKETRAiNS, the music unfolds with a slow inevitability which is almost tidal in nature. Subject matters are drenched in history and portent.
I love it. From their own bio:
Formed in 2009, they have spent the past four years developing their sound into what is now an impressive landscape of billowing, reverb-soaked guitars, orchestral strings, piano, organ and multi-layered group-harmony vocals. Folk, slowcore, neo-classicism, minimalism, ambient and post-rock are all apparent in the music Tomorrow We Sail create together. If you’ve ever been moved by albums like Talk Talk’s ‘Spirit Of Eden’, Sigur Ros’ ‘( )’ or Low’s ‘Secret Name’, you may find yourself falling for this music.
Now the groundwork is laid for the band’s debut full-length. ‘For Those Who Caught The Sun In Flight’ is a supremely well-realised work. The seven stately, graceful songs move in orchestrated ebbs and flows of sound, gently building an immersive group identity. The voices are sincere and affecting, and often come in pairs or groups. The words themselves are full of emotive storytelling. The central trilogy of ‘Never Goodbye’, ‘December’ and ‘Testament’ is based loosely on Vera Brittain’s writing about the lost generation after WW1, and especially her autobiography ‘Testament Of Youth’, now considered a feminist classic about women’s role in the society of the time. There’s a powerful sense of the layers of history being carefully unravelled. And, unusually for a set of long songs, not a moment is wasted. The melodies are strong, the performances assured, nothing is hurried. Tomorrow We Sail ask for your patience.