{"id":8725,"date":"2015-07-13T15:24:19","date_gmt":"2015-07-13T15:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-forrest-soluna\/"},"modified":"2018-03-21T22:16:12","modified_gmt":"2018-03-21T22:16:12","slug":"album-review-forrest-soluna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-forrest-soluna\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review:\u00a0Forrest – Soluna"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"image\"Hailing from Neath, South Wales, Forrest<\/b> are the latest in a long, illustrious line of bands to emerge from the region. But if you think that means you have a handle on what they sound like, be prepared to check your preconceptions at the door.<\/figure>\n

Instead, \u2018Soluna\u2019<\/i> recalls many of my favourite late ‘90s, early ’00s emo records. Indeed, if you ever enjoyed anything on the Deep Elm roster during its golden age, Elliott\u2019s \u2018False Cathedrals\u2019<\/i> or Sense Field\u2019s \u2018Building\u2019<\/i>, then \u2018Soluna\u2019<\/i> could be one of the best records you could hear all year.<\/p>\n

In fact, \u2018False Cathedrals\u2019<\/i> is an album I keep coming back to as a reference point. From the gorgeous, airy vocals and beautiful textures on opener \u2018Ambition\u2019<\/i> to the hauntingly sparse \u2018Sol\u2019<\/i> it evokes the same mood as Elliott\u2019s masterpiece. Even lyrically, \u2018Ambition\u2019<\/i> recalls \u2018Calm Americans\u2019<\/i>, with both opening lyrics citing ambition and dreams. Sometimes you just know that you\u2019re going to get on with an album, and from that moment I was sold. <\/p>\n

Close To Me by Forrest.<\/a><\/figure>\n

It perhaps should be noted that I place the Kentucky act in such high regard that such comparisons aren\u2019t made lightly. That Forrest<\/b> nail both the feeling and majesty of such a band is astonishing. But in \u2018Soluna\u2019<\/i> they\u2019ve delivered something pretty special.<\/p>\n

\u2019Soluna\u2019<\/i> isn\u2019t merely a work of hero worship, however. Instead, there\u2019s a drive and intensity that sets it apart and ensures it stands proudly alongside its forefather as an equal, rather than a cheap knock-off. It makes for a striking combination of sounds, ranging from the moody \u2018Ambition\u2019<\/i> and \u2018Asylum\u2019<\/i> to more strident efforts such as \u2018Remember\u2019<\/i> and \u2018Close To Me\u2019<\/i>. That it comes together as a cohesive, albeit relentlessly intense album speaks volumes about Forrest\u2019s<\/b> grasp of pacing and song structuring. <\/p>\n

This is best evidenced by the stunning one-two of \u2018Sol\u2019<\/i> and \u2018Luna\u2019<\/i>. The first a gorgeous instrumental, the second, the closest the album has to a pop song. It\u2019s slightly outrageous they even attempt it. That it hits all the right spots is tantamount to criminal behaviour. <\/p>\n

Lyrically and thematically, there\u2019s a lot of common ground with another of this year\u2019s breakout bands, Berkshire\u2019s finest, Hindsights. It makes \u2018Soluna\u2019<\/i> an intensely personal record, but one which, like Hindsights\u2019 excellent debut effort, avoids clich\u00e9s or melodrama. <\/p>\n

For all their intensity, it\u2019s to Forrest\u2019s<\/b> credit that \u2018Soluna\u2019<\/i> never feels overbearing too. It would\u2019ve been easy for the album to feel like a trial; a relentless slog to get through each increasingly taut song. Instead, it works perfectly, with plenty of light added to the darkness and shade. Could they be Wales\u2019 next big thing? Absolutely\u2026 <\/p>\n

4.5\/5<\/p>\n

\u2019Soluna\u2019 <\/i> by Forrest <\/b> is released on July 16th on Close To Home Records<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Forrest<\/b> links: Facebook<\/a>|Twitter<\/a>|Bandcamp<\/a>|Tumblr<\/a><\/p>\n

Words by Rob Mair (@BobNightMair<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hailing from Neath, South Wales, Forrest are the latest in a long, illustrious line of bands to emerge from the region. But if you think that means you have a handle on what they sound like, be prepared to check your preconceptions at the door. 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