BAre Island - NIght Songs

Bare Island 

Night Songs
self-released; 2014

4.0 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

Bare Island is the music project of Sydney producer Rob Bryant and his recent release Night Songs is something that will be your next favorite album if you are into music such as Sigur Rós, Portishead, Radiohead, Massive Attack, Notwist ... alright you get the idea. 

Bryant combines synths, inventive programming, guitar and bass into music that often has dark tendencies but in some ways feels cathartic. He mixes and combines styles such as trip-hop, post-rock and electronica into fresh compositions that are covered in influence but still feel original.

He kicks thing off with the excellent “New Dawn Rises.” It starts with a thick foundational base line, female vocals that sound like they have an auto tune type effect, subtle percussive elements and a distant sounding affected guitar. I loved the almost euphoric feeling you get when the chorus enters. It’s extremely uplifting and hard to deny its presence.

Combine the album Laughing Stock by Talk Talk with a trip-hop beat and you should have a decent idea of what “Crocodile” sounds like. The song moves like a silky, smooth journey into a state of tranquility. “Night Songs” is arguably the darkest and most atmospheric song on the EP. I think it was the grumbling synth bass. The music is thematic and felt like music that could be played in a sci-fi adventure where our hero is stepping onto an alien planet.

Bryant closes with the melancholy and nostalgic “Almost Gone.” The guitars sound as if they are distant memories as the piano melody brings seeds of hope into the mix. It was an overall powerful song that left an impression.

Bryant has a lot of things going for him. Nights Songs not only has pristine production but contains well-written songs that all build upon the style he is creating. Highly Recommended 

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