Following the success of their 2016 debut EP, it felt like Berkshire’s Sibling had emerged from the shadow of vocalist Benio Baumgart’s previous act, Hindsights. ‘Dream You Away’, a gorgeous and immediate listen from the off, should finally kill the comparisons for good.

‘Dream You Away’ glistens and shimmers like a frosted window on a crisp winter morning. There’s a coolness to cuts like ‘Love/Sick’ and the title track that could be misconstrued as austere if it wasn’t for Baumgart’s rich vocals. Instead, there’s a wistful, melancholy air to ‘Dream You Away’, with each track a mini, melodramatic, epic; intimate moments that would feel cloistered in small venues, but which would light up much larger arenas. ‘Tu Me Manques’ in particular is a bombastic slice of indie-rock that has ideas far beyond the pubs and clubs Sibling are used to – and sounds all the better for it.

Elsewhere, ‘Breathe in’ is a percussive delight, reliant on a quiet-loud dynamic before veering into post-rock territory for its conclusion. It’s brave and bold stuff, but Sibling manage to meld the pop hooks and grand vision with panache.

‘Dream You Away’ consequently sounds fantastic, marrying Sibling’s love of indie and pop with more demanding and challenging musical styles. It’s not an easy path to walk, but over the course of two EPs, Sibling have shown enough promise to suggest they have a chance. Now, let’s see if they can make it work over a full-length…

4/5

’Dream You Away’ EP by Sibling is released on 30th June on Close to Home Records.

Sibling links: Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp

Words by Rob Mair (@BobNightMair)