It may be old news to some, but to others this is an introduction to the Portland, Oregon band Small Sails. The band has been playing around town for quite a while with their unique blend of acoustic and electronic instruments, as well as a great live show with visuals. But anyone fortunate enough to see them live never got the chance to bring some music home from the show. The album “Similar Anniversaries” came out over a month ago on local label Other Electricities but the album’s release seems kind of low key. But that may just mean I am not quite “with it”.
The album’s opener is the hard to pronounce “Somnambulist”, which reminds me of the african rhythm stuff the Police were doing towards the end of their march. The clever acoustic guitar lines mix nicely with a drawn out synth horn of some type. It has that pulse that makes you at the very least nod your head.
“Aftershocks and Afterthoughts” follows a similar instrumentation and is the only song on the album I’ve heard before due to its stint on their Myspace page. At times it sounds straight out of the disco or something with the sing-a-long synth horn and high pitched “hi-ho, hi-ho” vocal melody.
Another highlight of the album is the track “Corners” which is dripping in layers of synth instruments and a nice xylophone melody. I especially like the seamless mixture of acoustic and electronic percussion. Other notable tracks are the Postal Service-y “Earthbound with Parents”, and “No Spirit Animal”.
The album as a whole seems sparse and open, kind of like driving through the desert at night (as if that metaphor had never been used before, but it is fitting). I especially like how the creative timbres of the instruments chosen recur throughout the album, so even if you wander you always have something familiar to get you back on track. It sounds great loud so you can hear each well written and planned out layer of music, as well as when you want a record to put on to relax but not fall asleep.
Small Sails Links
Small Sails Homepage
Small Sails Myspace
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