Release Date: November 08th 2024. Record Label: Ripple Music. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Daylight In The Dark - Track Listing:
1.Unholy Waters 06:50
2.Daylight in the Dark 07:13
3.Exit Wounds 05:52
4.Continents 04:50
5.Dragged Across The Desert Floor 05:03
6.Soft Sun 11:22
Members
Pia Isaksen - Bass/Vocals
Gary Arce - Guitar
Dan Joeright - Drums
Review
Daylight In The Dark is the debut album from Heavy Psych/Desert Rock/Stoner Rock outfit SoftSun who employ a cinematic style of Shoegaze to bring their music to life. The band is made up of seasoned members of the Stoner Rock scene with Pia Isaksen (PIA ISA, Superlynx), Gary Arce (Yawning Man, Fatso Jetson, Big Scenic Nowhere) and Dan Joeright (Earth Moon Earth). The end result is an almost dreamlike journey into the finer parts of the Stoner Rock Psyche with Pia’s enchanting vocals matched against Gary Arce’s legendary swirling soundscape based guitars and Dan Joeright’s measured and precise drumming.
The album is beautifully HEAVY without the need of crushing dynamics as SoftSun blend Post-Rock structures and Doomgaze passages which do have a slight resemblance to the earlier works of Yawning Man but with the added bonus of Pia’s ice cool vocals that add a sublime NORDIC sound to them. The lyrics are very honest and quite heartfelt with the sounds of the Californian Desert being quite bleak, opaque and even romantic at times especially on tracks such as Unholy Waters, Daylight In The Dark and Exit Wounds.
There’s a deep reliance on 1980’s Shoegaze imagery which propels SoftSun into their own unique world with layers of SONIC based Progressive Rock whilst still harnessing the classic Californian Desert/Stoner Rock sound which drifts further and further into the realms of Space Rock for the lengthier instrumental grooves that appear throughout the album.
After multiple listens you begin to experience influences such as EARTH and SUNN O))) in places wiih a DRONE based quality appearing with the shoegaze leaning guitars. The drumming brings an organic and mellow creative approach to the whole album but it’s Pia’s vocals that’s perhaps the real “HEART” and “EMOTION” that holds everything together especially on the later stages of the album.
The second half of the album allows SoftSun to experiment with their sound ever so slightly but still keeping with the beautiful and meditative energy that allows the band to drift into Sludgier surroundings where the record becomes that little bit DOOM & GLOOM obsessed in places.
The final two tracks of Dragged Across The Desert Floor and Soft Sun are the standout moments of the album for me. As the album can be quite bleak and despairing in places with Soft Sun still allowing themselves the perfect time and opportunity to play some truly uplifting SONIC grooves with Pia’s exquisite vocals keeping everything REAL and SURREAL.
Daylight In The Dark is a truly majestic work of art which showcases a different style of Desert Rock and Stoner Rock. With the winter months slowly appearing, this album is the perfect soundtrack to lose yourselves in.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo
Daylight In The Dark is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music
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