The summer heat has long since faded into a distant memory whilst damp, autumnal leaves now lay underfoot on muddy park pathways. Soon, the bitter and icy windchill of winter will enfold the land for months, and the fireplaces of our homes will begin to crackle into life once more. Capturing the essence of change and the longer, brighter and happier days that come with the spring, British math-rock quarter Delta Sleep return with their long-awaited third studio album, Spring Island.
It may come as somewhat of a surprise to frequent readers of my reviews, but it isn’t just metalcore, djent and deathcore that I’m into. I long for captivating, emotive, thought-provoking, nuanced and genuinely original records, regardless of their genre. Truly, I am delighted to say that Delta Sleep demonstrate an abundance of these qualities across Spring Island.
The delicate and meandering opener “Water Fall” puts one in the mind of a tiny woodland creature emerging from a restful hibernation with frontman Devin Yüciel’s gentle lyrics and vocal performance: “I’ve been dreaming about leaving the house / I spent weeks calculating, calibrating”. Light, airy synths convey this impelling sense of something emerging from a cocoon or underground den, something beautiful and untarnished by the outside world.
Straight away we jump into Spring Island’s standout track — lead single, “The Detail”. Destined to appeal greatly to fans of TTNG and Covet, Delta Sleep toy with intriguing, intricate time signature changes throughout “The Detail”. Six-stringer Glen Hodgson and bassist Dave Jackson sit perfectly in the mix with warm, welcoming tonalities aplenty, whereas percussionist Blake Mostyn adds drive and punchiness in all the right places. Heartfelt and harrowing lyrics carry a message of depression’s darkness being magnified by isolation: “I know where your heart goes / When you’re lonely / And you can’t see, it’s far too early.” Seriously stirring stuff.
Tracks three and four “View To A Fill” and “Planet Fantastic” sustain the uplifting vibe of Spring Island with ease. Where “View To A Fill” has this characterful, offbeat, danceable nature to it and riffs reminiscent of The Fall Of Troy, “Planet Fantastic” possesses subdued singalong passages: “We will be spun right into the sun / Indifferent and numb as we bury our loved ones”.
Things take a sobering, somber turn as we switch over to song five, “Forest Fire”. With low-gain lead guitars evoking memories of listening to American Football as an angsty teen, this song is equal-parts nostalgic and brooding whilst offering a significant atmospheric departure from its neighbouring songs. “Forest Fire” is a wonderful listen both in isolation and in the context of Spring Island holistically.
Some major Trade Wind vibes kick in towards Spring Island’s latter half, with “Spun” and “Hotel 24” offering up moody melodies and jazzy indie-rock progressions throughout. “Spun” enters the fold with lo-fi guitars before jaunty, jovial string bends kick in with energetic snare hits, toms and kicks. Contrasting the lightened atmosphere of “Spun”, “Hotel 24” is undeniably a darker listen. Replete with tempestuous tempo changes and ghostly guitar layers, “Hotel 24” is a groove-infused banger that keeps Spring Island incalculably interesting in its twilight tacks.
Closing track “Water Rise” acts as a reprisal of opening song “Water Fall” in a similar fashion to “Afterimage” and “Sultans of Ping” on Delta Sleep’s previous record, Ghost City. Admittedly, I much prefer the execution of recurring motifs and melodies on Ghost City — there’s something intangible within that record that resonates with me more so than Spring Island.
It is this that seeps into the one and only criticism I really have of Spring Island — it’s a fucking fantastic record, but it’s not quite the masterpiece that Ghost City is. Tracks such as “Single File”, “Dotwork” and “El Pastor” on Delta Sleep’s 2018 outing possess nothing short of incredibly infectious vibes, making for irresistibly enjoyable repeat listens.
I haven’t a single doubt in my heart that I will return to Spring Island again and again once the warmer months approach. Whilst the likes of “The Detail”, “Forest Fire” and “Hotel 24” elevate Spring Island above a number of contemporaneous releases, I greedily long for a soul-stirrer on the level of Ghost City. Aside from this, there is remarkably little to fault in this delightful little gem of a record.
Spring Island by Delta Sleep will be released on November 12th 2021 via Sofa Boy Records, and you can purchase and stream the album here. For more on Delta Sleep and groovy music in general, stick around on Boolin Tunes.
8.5/10