ROBIN SOUTHBY- ‘Our Thoughts Are Ours Alone’
Lovely, this. Across five tracks of Eno-esque ambience, gently cinematic synths, and birdsong samples, erstwhile Maybeshewill man Robin Southby (the second member of the band to release solo work this spring) evokes the sounds and sensations of walking through the forests and hills of the Peak District. Despite its ominous title, ‘The Forest Swallows Us Whole’ is lively, sunny and sweet, ‘Through the Undergrowth’ is a stirring, mini-epic that shares the most connective tissue with Southby’s former band, and of ‘All That We’ve Left Behind’ is the highlight- its looping, melancholy organ, yearning strings, and soft-static crescendo wouldn’t sound out of place on a Hans Zimmer soundtrack of an Attenborough documentary. While not quite as effective as Southby’s highly recommended Nowegian coast-inspired ‘Bodø’ EP from earlier this year, ‘Our Thoughts…’ is still special, and a welcome salve for times like these.
