Audio By Carbonatix
Following the lead of Spiritualized and Spacemen 3, Canadian space-rock quartet Sianspheric brandishes winding waves of synthesizers and airy textures on its latest release. The Sound and Colour of the Sun at times conjures a mood that can soar like a Concorde overlooking the curvature of the Earth and descend like a deep-sea creature into an unlit abyss. Tracks like “To Myself” and “Everything’s a Wave” could make listeners feel lightheaded, as if oxygen levels have dropped and the lights are getting brighter. The opening “Audiophone” begins with a lonely bass line adorned with waves of reverb, as Sean Ramsay’s whispered vocals trail off into a warm yet ghostly presence. Meanwhile, wailing feedback and buzzing grit blend with the euphoric landscape to add a sandpaper-like quality to the mix, as evidenced on “Tous Les Soirs” and “QFD.” The noises throughout the album are like fingerprints: no two are the same. Meanwhile, “Radiodiffusion,” with its pendular lows and unhurried tempo, suggest the band’s jazzier side, while “Slightly Less Sunshine” touches on a dreamy element that groups like Low have perfected.
For all its ambient, shoegazerish tendencies, The Sound of the Colour of the Sun is not background music. The quiet power of this work stays with you long after the last note has faded.
