One of several bands often name checked, I’d never spent any time with the Northern Irish instrumental rock outfit. Picking their latest release to review was not only a challenge in of an encounter with the unknown but also in of opening the proverbial rabbit hole down which to fall. With five previous albums delivered over the past 16 years, this was a late voyage of discovery and one which proved to be very rewarding.
What I discovered was a magnum opus which by all s is the summit of their creative ambitions so far. Jettison is an album like nothing else. Conceived by guitarist Rory Friers, it’s a record of such sonic expanse that finding the superlatives to describe the aural delights. As well as the band, who alongside Friers comprise Jonathan Adger on bass, Niall Kennedy on guitar and drummer and percussionist Chris Wee, Jettison features the talents of orchestrator Connor O’Boyle, the Arco String Quartet and visual artist Sam Wihel.
Having harboured the ambition to create such a score for a long time, first fruits of this labour of love began to flower in 2018. Friers hoped that the project would “ultimately service as a counterweight to the tense social climate – a way to “jettison” the anger and strife of the times”.
Jettison is a nine-part journey that shares uplifting, joyous moments with equally melancholic elements. Opening with calming, peaceful piano chords, “Dive Pt 1” sees strings stir and the narration of Emma Ruth Rundle as the album carefully begins. The tranquil feel continues for the entire piece before moving to “Dive Pt 2”, with the percussion of Wee and Adger’s bass ing the ensemble. It’s a controlled, meticulously crafted track that slowly ups the tempo without any aggravation. Everything is remarkably enticing, delicate and perfectly delivered. This leads neatly into the album’s shortest track, the guitar the focus on the two-minute “Lung”.
“In Air” sees Clutch’s Neil Fallon provide his own unique narration, on a track that blends folk melodies with an oriental twist. Whilst the dialogue is most definitely cryptic, there is something pleasingly familiar about the delivery and the overall feel that allows it to nestle comfortably within the overall pieces. As the album progresses, each listen allows the listener to become more familiar with the creative forces at work, the simmering soundscapes of “Hold”, with its upbeat tempo and light and airy atmosphere, get you tapping the feet as it gently pulses along, the strings of the Quartet unassuming yet vital to the overall interplay and feel of the track.
There is an intensity that is present throughout the album, but the tension is cranked up a whole turn on the jagged, crashing “Submerge”, which sees the strings battle with the thunderous percussion in a brief yet bruising battle, before the lead guitar cuts in to take central focus. “Submerge” certainly shocks, mainly due to its jarring volume in comparison to most of this record. The shock is initially brief, as the tempo dramatically reduces before climbing once more into “Emerge”, which sees a rabid guitar riff and some abstract drumming explode into one of the most intoxicating tracks on the album, that being the title track which sees the band finally get to unleash in fine style. It’s a rampant, no-holds barred piece with a real feel-good vibe that ends with a calming outro that segues into the beautiful orchestral finale of “A.D. Poet”.
Jettison is a record that deserves attention. It’s a masterful work of creativity, drawing on multiple instruments in a manner that provides cinematic scores which stir the emotions. One listen is simply insufficient. It demands repeated plays to even begin to unpack it. And whilst I understand that this album is far from the more standard fare, it’s a release that does far more than merely whet the appetite.
Jettison is out on February 18th
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