Writ on Water has taken on a sound that is reminiscent of early 90’s shoegazer bands, such as Slowdive, and 80’s indie darlings, The Cocteau Twins. The lush ‘A Midsummer Wish’ and ‘Last Night of Her Sleep’ are immensely rewarding instrumental tracks that give you reason to go back and listen to the song over and over again as you discover something new each time. ’Ancestor’ is a mixture of driving guitars and haunting vocals that dare the listener to not hit repeat and could not possibly be forgotten as this song simply begs for radio attention.
It must be said though, that this is not a perfect album. The album comes in at just under an hour in length, with one or two songs feeling as if they should have been a little shorter. ‘The Laughter Ceases’ is a prime example of this as it’s a long , five and a half minute track, that seems to be lacking in the creativity that so many of the other songs on this album showed. Plus, its placement at track four seems to stop all forward motion that is created by one of the best songs on the album, ‘Ancestor.’ Perhaps if ‘The Laughter Ceases’ had been trimmed down and placed at the end of the album it might have done the album more justice.
Overall though Writ on Water has crafted a very good follow up album to their 2000 ‘Pelleas’ EP that‘s not afraid to try new things. Here’s looking forward to the next EP.
Artist: Writ On Water
Album: A Wingless King
Tracks: 11
Label: Cypress Shade Recordings
