…And Then We Saw Land by Tunng is out now on Full Time Hobby.
Tunng...And Then We Saw Land
The fourth studio release from Tunng sees the band set sail again on acoustic-waved waters, where the currents run deep with electronic pulses and mermaid melodies are never far from the surface. However, the horizon has changed.
The comforting intimacy and production of previous albums has been augmented with a wider world view. Six strings are amplified and occasionally break for a solo run. The silver mist bass tones of singer Mike Lindsay are lifted by the ethereal vocal breeze of Becky Jacobs. And whereas on previous outings the band’s crafted arrangements would offer a you-and-me arm around the shoulder, on …And Then We Saw Land they pack a “land ahoy!” punch.
Lindsay has said that “We wanted to make a record that would be a great live set so I think we naturally started writing more powerful music” and the first few tracks are testament to this intent. Album opener Hustle is a chart-friendly pop song, reminiscent of M Ward at his jauntiest peak and Don’t Look Down or Back has a melancholic, serpentine bite The Decemberists would be proud of, before finishing on an ocean-chorus of open voices and breaking hearts; perfect for an elbows-aloft, deep-dusk sing-a-long.
However, although the horizon may have changed, this is still the good-ship Tunng we are sailing, with the same core crew that have delighted and enlightened on past voyages. The pitter patter of electronic tonic drops on Roadside build into a blissful, sea-slung carpet of laser guided melodies. While on October, the finger-picked ebb and flow is an undulating base for a melody line that drifts in the direction of Scarborough Fair.
On …And Then We Saw Land Tunng have focused their folk-flavoured beams and electronic washes to great effect. The separation and sharpness of the arrangements gives the album a panoramic scope, no doubt helped by the extra tools employed, including old mics, valves and a reverb plate once owned by Mike Oldfield.
Tunng’s haunting and hazy moonlight shadows are still present but in the foreground are new, dawn-lit breakers, sounding the way to a new horizon.
For more information on Tunng visit the band’s main website or their myspace site.
Watch the promo video for Tunng’s …And Then We Saw Land
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