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The cover art of Snakadaktal's debut LP Sleep In The Water is so beautiful in its minimalism, depicting a body of water disrupted by subtle waves and riffs. Like its visual, the title, although initially alluding to a feeling of tranquility, hints at something more sinister. These conflicting connotations are further addressed in the album, a paradox of lightness and darkness that marks Snakadaktal's debut as one of my favourites this year.
The theme of water re-occurs in the album both sonically and lyrically. The former is validated through its icy guitar riffs, bubbling reverb and dreamy atmospherics, while the latter is personified through the album's eerie lyricism, where the notion of water is manipulated as a means of poeticising its darker associations, the feeling of drowning and being in too deep. This idea of water as simultaneously serene and threatening is a consistent motif that enables Snakadaktal to play around with beats and vocals that express this duality.
Sleep In The Water is so beautifully orchestrated, its fluidity and thematically-driven tracks identifying it as a concept album, rather than a collection of randomly positioned songs. "Fall Underneath" is so dreamy and light, its icy guitar and minimal electric percussion transcending the listener into the most tranquil of landscapes. It could easily have worked as an instrumental intro, its sonic lightness epitomising the Snakadaktal signature sound. Phoebe Cockburn's ethereal vocals do however blend in seamlessly; her voice being another instrument that encapsulates weightlessness.
The effortless transition from "Fall Underneath" into "Hung On Tight" reinforces the infinite fluidity of water. Driven by Sean Heathcliff on vocals, this track is incredibly tender, with Heathcliff's emotive lyrics "Oh my sister, will you hold my hand/The big blue chair, you're soaking in" and Cockburn's breathy harmonies. This motif of drowning and loss is further explored later in the album, however Cockburn sings with such calmness and reflection that it all still feels like a dream, a floating melody and instrumentation that continues to plunge the listener deeper into this simultaneously sinister and calming abyss that Snakadaktal are creating.
"Deep" is one of the most menacing tracks on the LP. The spooky reverb, electronic drum rhythm and heavy synth bassline are very similar in mood to the sombre beats of The xx. Over the top of all of this is a creepy little key pattern that is so light and delicate. Cockburn's vocals and lyricism are particularly intoxicating here, the former being especially breathy. Lyrics like "It's too deep" and "The quiet explosion goes straight to the chest" reinforce this threatening motif of suffocation and claustrophobia. After Cockburn's voice dramatically drops in the bridge, she comes back up for air after a synth breakdown seamlessly evolves into a climactic drum pattern. The interrelationship between lightness and darkness, between pain and bliss is impossible to misinterpret throughout this LP.
"Ghost" is incredibly intimate and minimalistic. It is also heartbreaking, with Cockburn painfully reliving a memory, "We spun around making sense of our luck/Ghost, ghost, ghost" and "Minds reliving the old/Disregarding the new."
"Feel The Ocean Hold Me Under" is equally sombre, however it's chaotic instrumentation and fast tempo is a nice little respite from its predecessor's minimalism. Sounding like the foundation of a Cafe del Mar track fused with '90's techno, "Feel The Ocean Hold Me Under" validates Snakadaktal's dexterity in sonic experimentation. When you thought Snakadaktal had gone as far as they could with dream-pop, they manage to pull the rug right out from underneath you.
The triptych of "The Sun I, II and III" collectively encapsulate the signature sounds of Snakadaktal: Raw emotion, beauty, fragility, tranquility, vulnerability, pain, weightlessness and above all, a dreamy sonic bliss. In "The Sun I," you can actually hear water bubbling beneath the guitar riff. "The Sun III" concludes with a seamless synth fade-out that softly palpitates like a heartbeat. Brilliant work, Sleep In The Water is the perfect soundtrack to a desperately anticipated summer. A tender piece of music only suitable for the most intimate of environments.
Album Review:Image may be NSFW.
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Sleep in the Water is in stores now.
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Clik here to view.
