sleepmakeswaves – Love of Cartography

Album Review by Gary Kaill | 26 Aug 2014
Album title: Love of Cartography
Artist: sleepmakeswaves
Label: Bird's Robe Records
Release date: 1 Sep

The lambent, dreamlike qualities of sleepmakeswaves’ post-rock re-imaginings have always been underscored by a winning paradox: music without words it might be, but it revels in a heightened language, a dense musicality that frames an often complex narrative. They eschew vocals but the Australian four piece have much to say, and Love of Cartography (beautifully self-aware) gives voice to their complex designs like never before. As with their 2013 debut, performance (breath-taking interplay) and composition (far-reaching, elaborate) dovetail to devastating effect.

Emergent, and its key motif, has shades of horror maestros Goblin. Great Northern breaks free on an uncharacteristically loose groove. Throughout, standard rock formatting gets given short shrift. It would be something, particularly with Mogwai flirting with mainstream acceptance and Slowdive returning to collective hosannas, to see this fearless outfit break out of a narrow scene. In how they articulate their luminous dreamscapes, they’re talking (very) loud and clear. [Gay Kaill]

http://www.sleepmakeswaves.com