{"id":97270,"date":"2024-10-11T10:00:51","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T09:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/?p=97270"},"modified":"2024-10-11T02:00:04","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T01:00:04","slug":"review-delta-sleep-blue-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/review-delta-sleep-blue-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Delta Sleep – Blue Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BlueFor 14 years, Delta Sleep<\/strong> have become a prominent mainstay in the UK\u2019s indie math-rock scene. In turn, they\u2019ve never been a band made for bigger things, opting to comfortably deliver a string of admirable releases while occasionally stepping into conceptual territory. 2021\u2019s \u2018Spring Island’<\/em> honed in on the quarter\u2019s emotional nuances, providing a consistent level of quality in the process.<\/p>\n

The arrival of fifth album, ‘Blue Garden’<\/em> promises an expansive\u00a0Delta Sleep<\/strong>. It is the result of a more collaborative, and thoughtful recording process. Having abandoned their Brighton base in favour of Daft Studios in Belgium, the four-piece recorded with Mark Roberts (Black Peaks, Toska, The Physics House Band) over two and a half weeks. The end result is twelve evocative songs that dwell on internal and external themes, touching on personal despair and widespread turmoil.<\/p>\n

Throughout, it tonally treads the fine line between light and dark.\u00a0‘Dawn’<\/em> twinkles with ambient keys before ‘Slow Burn<\/em>‘s dense power chords interrupt. Emphasising\u00a0Delta Sleep<\/strong>‘s sonically darker tone, Dave Jackson’s bass broods as guitarist Dev Y\u00fcceil\u2019s vocals ruminate on focusing on his own needs as he “watches the world burn”<\/em>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

‘Blue Garden’<\/em> does a fine job of balancing out\u00a0Delta Sleep<\/strong>‘s ability to organically grow and experiment. For example,\u00a0\u2018The Distance’<\/em>s colourful percussion firmly leans into their math-rock tendencies before settling into a smooth R&B rhythm. Y\u00fcceil\u2019s words yearn for connection despite his lyrical and vocal intimacy. It’s complemented by\u00a0‘Glow’<\/em>s sultry tenderness. With its dimly lit instrumentation and hushed vocals, it’s delivering with a captivating quality. Elsewhere, ‘Illuminator’<\/em>‘s opening is dominated by swirling, glitchy effects abruptly by remote words of despair. It’s<\/p>\n

In contrast, there are moments where the quartet, completed by guitarist Glen Hodgson and drummer Blake Mostyn, deliver sturdy and emotive indie rock songs. Alongside ‘Toe Stepper’<\/em> and\u00a0‘Sl_ck_rs’<\/em>, mid-album highlight\u00a0‘Figure In The Dark’<\/em> thrives with bold energy, melodic charm, and newfound love adrenaline poured into its lyrics.<\/p>\n

As\u00a0‘Blue Garden’<\/em> reaches its conclusion,\u00a0‘A Casa’<\/em> comfortably sits into soft, atmospheric territory, with dynamic drum work and plucky rhythms. Carried with an experimental flair, it exemplifies\u00a0Delta Sleep<\/strong>‘s growing palette of sounds and tones. It’s followed by\u00a0‘Sun Chaser’<\/em>, which aims to provide a sense of comfort to the disillusion that threads\u00a0‘Blue Garden’<\/em> together. Y\u00fcceil\u2019s final resolute words of “I\u2019ll see you when the sun is shining\u201d<\/em> are accompanied by towering guitars, and distant cheers and applause.<\/p>\n

Overall,\u00a0Delta Sleep<\/strong> confidently takes progressive steps on ‘Blue Garden’<\/em> yet never abandons their emotional math-rock tendencies. It’s tonally well-balanced between their melody-driven strengths and interesting, pallette-expanding advancements. As a result, it offers just enough to entice new fans and is sure to please those who have stuck by them.<\/p>\n

‘Blue Garden’\u00a0<\/em>by\u00a0Delta Sleep<\/strong> is out now on Sofa Boy Records<\/strong> in partnership with Wax Bodega<\/strong>.<\/p>\n