WITH OUR ARMS TO THE SUN – A FAR AWAY WONDER
Tracklist:
- Where Silence Dwells
- Tessellation
- Cosmonaut (feat. Jonathan Levi Shanes)
- Great Black Divide (feat. Jonathan Levi Shanes)
- Walking Through Walls
- After the Storm
- Syndicate (feat. Jonathan Levi Shanes)
- Die for You
Title: A Far Away Wonder
Release Date: 9/23/14
Playing Time: 39:27
Country: United States
Year: 2014
Website: Visit page
There is a dramatic flair to the trio’s interpretation of rock, inspired by their keen ear for movie scores and video game soundtracks. Unsurprisingly a number of movie and video game makers have turned to With Our Arms to the Sun for matching music. Responsible for the expansive synth heard on A Far Away Wonder is film composer Jonathan Levi Shanes and the almost edible drum patterns were arranged by Aaron Harris of ISIS and Palms. Once you synchronize with the soulful, energetic vibe of this album, it’s hard to get it out of your CD player.
“Tessellation” all but confirms that With Our Arms To The Sun has not forsaken their cinematic approach to rock. Though it lasts just under eight minutes, it is more a journey than a song. Along the way, as the drums pound in an ominous rhythm, you will hear native Indian chanting emerging from behind sun-baked canyons. The mood turns futuristic with “Cosmonaut” which grows from distant strings into exploding drums and a meshwork of melded guitar riffs. A splash of violin resurrects the tempo and the drums break into a steady canter and then drop back into a forceful trot. Josh’s vocals rise in the midst of the undulating chaos like echoes from a dream. “Walking Through Walls” is violent from the get-go with frantic riffs tearing at your eardrums with the help of spiraling snares. Reins are thrown over the tempo midway through the song so that Josh’s hypnotic “Ooooh” chants can receive your attention. It doesn’t take long for the song to return to its frenetic pace and overpower Josh’s harmonies, which turn into enraged yelling towards the end.
From the carnage left by “Walking Through Walls”, the next song, aptly named “After the Storm” starts off with mild strumming on a rhythm guitar. The pace is set by a drumline that has a hint of African tom-toms and it continues slowly and steadily even after distorted guitar chords are thrown into the mix. I fell in love with “Syndicate” at first listen. For me this mostly instrumental track is a bundle of beautiful transitions sprinkled with timely showers of synth and shoegaze. Introspective guitars introduce the album closer “Die for You”, slowly filling the air with a grey, forlorn soundscape. Its tempo is restricted to a labored crawl and the guitars are allowed to warble and meander themselves into exhaustion.
With Our Arms to the Sun may be two years old, but the brothers have been picking each others’ musical brains for over 15 years, and the chemistry is plain to hear. Shanes and Harris provide the needed edge to take the album to the next level, making for an art rock masterpiece that you absolutely need to get into your system.
