Impressing this past summer with the spacey pop charmer “Wake Up,” Lebanon-based act Sandmoon compel throughout their newly released third full-length, While We Watch the Horizon Sink. The project’s dreamy pop and rock integrations leads a lyrical prowess that explores the tumult worldwide over the past few years, touching especially on Lebanon.
The project’s leader, Sandra Arslanian, elaborates further:
“Releasing ‘While We Watch the Horizon Sink’ feels like a genuine ‘release’ – a release of emotions bottled up during the past two intense, tumultuous years. These are quite uncertain times and ‘While We Watch the Horizon Sink’ echoes the state of the world, yet looks beyond the immediateness and goes into the essence of things.”
The release entrances from the get-go with “Bearable Lightness of Being.” Fluid guitar work reminds fondly of Television, easing seamlessly into a psych-tinged vein of dream-pop that’s bolstered by this brisk guitar-laden familiarity. The jangling guitars and hypnotic vocals craft a spell-inducing effect, reflecting the type of suave and smart songwriting one can anticipate throughout this stellar release.
Amongst the other numerous highlights, “Silent Leaders” stands out particularly, for its piano-laden haunts and bluesy vocal chills. Seemingly cinematic and atmospheric, “Silent Leaders” scales things back a bit and emphasizes the project’s textural prowess. The release’s eclectic hold is evident, from this more understated effort to steady risers like the powerful “Let’s Start a War” and the synth/guitar interplaying “Spirals in my Head.” While We Watch the Horizon Sink is a ravishing success from Sandmoon.
Stream While We Watch the Horizon Sink:
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“Bearable Lightness of Being” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of November 2022’ Spotify playlist.
