Somali Yacht Club
The Sun +1

Sun and then sea are the first albums by the club for talkative cats; one has to wonder what kind of The they will call their next album for it to fit the naming sequence they have started. The Sun +1 is a rerelease of the band’s debut album that was released in 2014 for the first time and now is released again shortly after the much acclaimed sequel The Sea, an album well received by Hallowed and their resident Somali (who doesn’t write but consults on some reviews). Shame that they don’t rerelease this album in vinyl format, I like the cover but it looks way more interesting for vinyl than CD or cassette – or digital for that matter, digital release are just boring. But lets forget the lack of buyable format, how good is the album?

Shoegaze is one word they use in the press material but perhaps it is more abstract and progressive, I think it is also a little bit diffuse and dreamy – stylistically it is quite exciting. Not too varied but the album keeps moving forward and never really gets boring, and it is short enough to keep one listening for the entire playing time, through the six tracks. It is like a sunny landscape painted in long strokes of the brush, a picture that looks best when watched from a distance. The production is quite excellent; they have a fairly fresh and exciting kind of style and sound. These guys can be described as quite creative and quite skilled, it is always fun with bands that do something a little bit more exciting than your every day plagiarising of old bands – originality isn’t the most common thing in the music world but it is a word that can be used for this band.

Sunshiny and bright, great album I think. It may not be as exciting, as fascinating and dramatic as the sequel called The Sea but it isn’t far from it. The songs are all good but you don’t really focus on the songs, as it is the whole of the album that is the biggest deal and not the single hit song. And I don’t really see any weakness on this album, the only thing is that it is an album that require a bit of time and attention to really get the maximum enjoyment from – it is not easy-listening or something like that, which could be a weakness for some. I find this yacht club for talkative cats with fascinating furs to be very interesting and they have two great albums out there for you to get, this debut with a bonus track is better than the original version without the bonus track. But you could of course complain about the album being rereleased so soon after the original release, and that would be a valid point but as my Somali friend points out all the time; you need money for the cat food.

I know this will be enjoyed by Somali and music fan alike, so it is certainly well worth checking out. Hallowed’s resident Somali consultant has approved this album and so does our expert reviewer. Be sure to give it a try, it both looks good and sounds good – how could anyone resist such a combination?

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