Tomorrow We Sail – For Those Who Caught The Sun In Flight
Once Leeds and now Manchester based label, Gizeh is quietly cornering the market in sombre post-rock. Their original city’s football club may be tanking but this ace imprint could be title contenders on the strength of latest signing Tomorrow We Sail. I use ‘signing’ loosely because Gizeh has a history of collaborative ensembles. Different musicians popping up on different Gizeh bands records is de riguer for this imprint whose levels of cross-pollination could shame 80’s 4.A.D.
The best part? For Those Who Caught The Sun In Flight is wonderful. Building slowly, opening piece ‘The Well And The Tide’ marches us steadfastly into this record, all shimmering grace and hushed intonation. It gets better still. ‘Eventide’ could be regarded as central to the whole album, musically and thematically even if its early positioning belies that. The main male vocal (You will forgive me for not knowing who does what in Tomorrow We Sail. There are seven of them!) is rich and nuanced. At times our lead approximates the brooding baritone of I Like Trains’ Dave Martin (also a Yorkshire act of course) but he also purrs with an almost folk-like quiver.
And he can soar.
‘Eventide’ is even more beautiful, one of those melodies you can’t believe you didn’t already know, didn’t already own. It is a classic, both figuratively and literally. Tomorrow We Sail are putting skilful composition and grandeur back into the maligned post-orchestral movement. No surprise there. Gizeh, well they get that a lot. They were the leading exponents even before this release. (Constellation, Kranky…I love you too, okay?)
With its (arguable) highpoint out of the way early, one could be forgiven for thinking that the album would meander from that moment onwards. Not so. ‘December’, up next, is loaded with Godspeed –esque drama and crescendo. ‘Testament’ takes us downtempo, this time with female vocals to the fore. (Ella May Blake and Angela Chan share duties on this record) and it’s a sweet, pure voice again, well suited to folk or dreampop. We’ll stay slow-core/ambient on the previously released ‘White Rose’.
The one thing I’m not really understanding with Tomorrow We Sail is the reaction. Claims of ‘difficult’ or ‘challenging’ seem to be doing the rounds. The band even ask us for our “patience”. Unnecessary for me. For Those Who Caught The Sun In Flight is an immersive listen, certainly and loaded with melancholy, but richly rewarding for it. The post-rock and post-orchestral community will respond well to this record I’m certain of that.
The album closes with the epic ‘For Rosa’, an ambitious, sprawling marriage of Silver Mount Zion and Morricone. Our lead singer hums like the ghost of Dominic Appleton (Breathless) auditioning for Crash Test Dummies behind a whirlwind of strings. If you’re wondering if you read that right, don’t worry, you’re in good company. I’m wondering if I heard it right too. I might just have to play For Those Who Caught The Sun In Flight all over again.
The best thing I’ve heard so far this year.
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