Closing Forever Sky
Spunk
It has been so long between drinks for Newcastle collective Firekites that you could be mistaken for thinking that they had ceased to exist. After a debut of delicate acoustica, Firekites have reinvented themselves with the addition of some bit part players and a broader palate when constructing their tunes.
Closing Forever Sky may only be seven songs in length but it is significantly larger in breadth. Many will find trouble in trying to label the sound of Firekites this time around as they stealthily sweep past the touchstones usually reserved for post-rock, shoe-gaze, folk or indie-rock without staying in any space for too long. There are long instrumental passages that are augmented by lithe well placed vocals.
The gentle electronica and propulsive drumming stand out at first listen, with the title track hitting close to the three minute mark before Timothy McPhee’s wispy vocals make an appearance. The album sounds like a collection of jams between like-minded souls with meandering soundscapes falling out the other end. There is a darkness to the tunes here, but they never hit sinister territory.
It would be selling it well short to label Closing Forever Sky as just one of the years biggest surprises, as it is much more than that and a totally mesmerising listen from go to whoa.
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
