Still Corners - Slow Air

Legt man „Slow Air“, das vierte Album von Still Corners, auf, so möchte man bei dieser Mischung aus Mazzy Star, Chris Isaak, Chromatics, Lana Del Rey und Beach House gar nicht glauben, dass Tessa Murray (Gesang) und Greg Hughes (Multi-Instrumentalist, Produzent) aus London stammen. Denn der atmosphärische Dream-/Synth-Pop mit ätherischem Gesang verlangt regelrecht nach den Weiten von Arizona oder Texas und wurde tatsächlich in Austin aufgenommen. Bis dorthin musste das Duo dann doch nicht allzu lang reisen, denn mittlerweile leben sie in Woodstock, New York. Der schnellste und eingängigste Song des Albums trägt den Titel „Black Lagoon“ und klingt ein wenig nach „Smalltown Boy“, oder?

Opening track "In the Middle of the Night" along with "Welcome to Slow Air," "Dreamlands," and single "Black Lagoon" show off not only the pinnacle of the band's newly developed sound but the duo's ability to craft sprightly rock songs. Each is a fantastically entertaining and shimmering excursion with polished bass lines, slick beats, and atmospheric guitar swirls topped off with Murray's sweet, reverb-coated vocals.
But Still Corners aren't content to rest on the laurels of this new found resonance though, as a few tracks on Slow Air show their willingness to keep tweaking and experimenting with their sound. "Whisper" and "Long Goodbyes" are slower, more wistful tracks with less structure and more spooky atmospherics, while "Fade Out" kicks the tempo up a notch and even adds a nimble synth lick straight from the ‚80s. (…)
Slow Air is an excellent, if not totally innovative, album of crafty atmospheric dream-pop that is rich and full and can be enjoyed at low volume as soothing morning music or as engaging rock music blasted at full volume.
(Under The Radar)

Even with a more stripped-back approach, Slow Air doesn't feel any less absorbing. They've still got a solid ear for dreamy, yet captivating melodies, but with the confidence to push their sound in new directions and see where it takes them.
(Exclaim)

With all that said, Slow Air may well just be Still Corners’ best effort yet. While it’s hardly exceptional and still has some of the pitfalls of their earlier material, the songwriting on the whole is stronger and the album is helped by what feels like a more unified, cohesive structure – the songs themselves filled out by more varied and colourful arrangements. If they continue to take more risks with their songwriting and push their sound in new, more imaginative directions, as hinted at with songs like “Whisper”, they could well do something even more interesting. But for now, Slow Air is a mostly solid, occasionally standout record.
(Sun Genre)