Designed in part as a soundtrack to an imagined summer – a musical place of escape when the world itself has become too much- Parasol, the new album by Scottish-born, South Korea-based multi-instrumentalist David Skimming is certainly a shimmering, sun-lit thing. Music as deliberate escapism perhaps but there’s also a strange sadness at the heart of its melodies too, a vulnerability that isn’t purely beach-life bliss. Indeed, although the deftly struck guitars vibrate and dance like a heat haze, the vocals, on their wave of reverb, still carry echoes of a far colder, 90s indie ambience; clearly the north hasn’t fully left Skimming’s bones.
Sonically, there are echoes of slow-core’s stately, deliberately simplistic statements but the tremulous addition of those swaying guitar notes certainly dance towards surf-pop textures. Those guitars (and occasional keys) really do shape intriguing shapes and lines- played with exacting eloquence- evocative of two worlds, two climates even, in beautiful collision. Programmed beats meander things along further – never throwing unnecessary frills in the mix- creating an immersive, hazy sound mirage to become lost within.
Intricate and atmospheric, there is a dream-like quality to the sound worlds crafted here – but real beauty too- particularly in the yearning, emotive melodic lines of the vocals – an emotive impact bolstered further by the introspective poignancy of the words themselves. Parasol is a finely woven thing and one that you can easily and very happily become hypnotised by.
After Sun takes that nostalgic dance-inflected early indie sound further, the warmth of the summer still clinging to its skin. Up pushes that cold-world reverb to the fore but this seems to allow the song to take on even dreamier resonance. The album as a whole is certainly a mood; each song blending as one aligned and cohesive whole – where subtle sonic shifts drift and flow and allow for full immersion to occur. Album closer Deepest of Blue is an elegiac and elegant final statement – and also the first time bass is used in such a forthright manner. It builds and builds slowly – an apt conclusion for an album that’s all about collective impact.
A parasol shades you from the heat of the midday sun and allows waves and waves of sweet and surprising sea sounds to wash over you- taking your dreams and waking thoughts to new places. This album is no different.
Lunar Isles has crafted something of real beauty here. Let it lure and lull you into its imagined dreams.
Written by M.A Welsh (Misophone)