July Skies - At the Height of Summer 7"
(Roison)
I know nothing about July Skies. The packaging tells me that it is a one
person band whose name is Antony Harding. So, to my dismay, I am left to
talk about the music.
"Coastal Stations" is a sparse song that does quite well by employing empty
space. Between the delayed, slowly strummed chords and guitar slides,
Harding's vocals carry the listener away without having to resort to thickly
layered ambience. Finishing off side A is the short and simple but
intricate instrumental "The Softest Kisses" which rounds out the single
perfectly.
"The Days We Played," follows a similar structure as "Coastal Stations" using a
simple guitar part being sung over, which leads into a melancholic drone. A
lead guitar line comes in as the vocals end, meandering along to the end.
"Southern Orchards" ends the single and would be perfect for a soundtrack,
to play over a slow-paced scene taking place in, of course, an orchard.
The simple use of only guitars and vocals feels fresh here and is a very welcome
choice of instrumentation. I am very eagerly awaiting future releases from July
Skies.
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