Unfold in the Sky

Although Unfold in the Sky may be the first album by the solo project of Penelope Isles Jack Wolter, its worth noting that Cubzoa (derived from "Cubozoa," a class of box jellyfish) actually pre-dates the band and served as its launching point in the mid-2010s. He returned to Cubzoa while staying at his familys home in Cornwall during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, then completed work on the projects full-length debut after returning to his longtime base of Brighton. That affectionate return to the coast inspired the albums recurring water theme, one of several components of a highly trippy, immersive set of electro-acoustic art rock that ultimately exceeds the "side project" status. Also inspired by COVID isolation and bands such as Tortoise, Deerhunter, and Radiohead, Wolter even set lyrics from parts of the song "Barcelona" at concerts by PJ Harvey and Radiohead ("Theyre still our favorite band"). In tune with the water theme, the intimate "I Dreamed a Beach" combines distorted acoustic instruments -- strings, saxophone, and eerie twinkling piano -- with fingerpicked guitar, light electronics, and ghostly multi-tracked falsetto vocals, as well as poetic lyrics that were inspired by an actual dream, all to engrossing effect. The contrasting "In 2 Worlds" opens the album with a more assertive rock fleshed out by guitars, keyboards, thundering drums, and echoing atmosphere in general, to the point where listeners may imagine their surroundings vibrating. The skittery "Choke" is catchier and more structured, "Lost in You" elicits soaring romanticism, "Chewin on My Lips" is more akin to a drugged-out campfire ballad, and the grooving "MidAir Collider" has an unshakable cautionary feel that suffuses the album but is more conspicuous there. While there are some quiet-loud contrasts such as these in the set list, many of the songs are at once delicate, whispery, overstimulating, and disturbingly otherworldly, like a movie spaceship ride, an impression encouraged by lyrics like "Theres a way/Come and fall through the light/Take a left and Ill fall to the right" from the title track. For the record, while the album was mostly recorded alone by Wolter (Anna B Savage appears on "In 2 Worlds," and some friends played strings), it was mixed by Holy Fucks Graham Walsh, and Katie Tavini, known for her work with artists like Nadine Shah, SOAK, and Cody Frost, mastered the album, contributing to its strangely organic-synthetic character. ~ Marcy Donelson

ペネロペ・アイルズのジャック・ウォルターによるソロ・プロジェクトがファースト・アルバムをリリース。淡い音像と心地良い歌メロの組み合わせは、ボーズ・オブ・カナダがポップソングを作ったような趣だ。サイケデリックな空気を漂わせる"Mid-Air Collider"など、電子音とアコースティックを繋ぎ目なく編み込む制作スキルの高さが際立つ曲群に感嘆。
bounce (C)近藤真弥