London-based Dawnwalker return with a new album, lineup and direction, it’s all rather exciting
Progressive music is fun because by its very nature, each album by artists should progress into various aspects of music. Take today’s album The Unknowing by UK band Dawnwalker for example. The band started life as a Death/Prog/Folk band with their first album Ages which morphed into Prog-Folk with their next album House of Sand. So, what then to expect on this, their latest album. Well, in continuing the band’s desire for progression, this album is much closer to classical Prog-music in that the whole thing is built around a central concept of religion, introspection and philosophy.
Musically this is a much lighter album and is almost entirely devoid of ‘heavy bits’, that’s not to say they are done away with entirely, it’s just they are used much more judiciously than previous albums. Opener “Thema Mundi” starts with soft chanting before the catchy rhythm section joins the fun, continuing to gather momentum with joyful call and response lyrics from the distinctive tones of Mark Norgate and Sofia Sourianou which is then capped off by a glorious guitar solo.
Next song “Capricorn” starts with an almost Reggae beat to it which over time builds velocity taking it away from earthly pleasures into the void of space, swirly into almost Ambient Psychedelic territory, it’s really rather clever, and not clever just for the sake of it either, it’s genuinely catchy and a great listen. “Novus Homo” is where we catch the first glimpse of the lesser spotted ‘heavy bits’ (that’s now a technical term by the way) with some crunchy guitar work layered-over by the emotive vocals from Mr Norgate. The feistier guitars are a welcome addition and serve to give the album some great variety, which is further exemplified by next song “Heaven and Earth” which pairs back sonically with the majority of the song consisting of sparse drumming, wistful keys and those gorgeous emotional vocals draped over the top. It all builds to a stunning crescendo which works like a capstone, topping off the song like the cherry on top of a trifle.
“Mirrorpool” sees the return of the wistful flute, which taken with its folk stylings seems like a love letter to songs of yesteryear, but with modern production values. Talking of which, the production is top notch too, with nothing feeling overbearing and each instrument affording its time in the limelight.
This album is introspective, emotive and gorgeous. It’s also well worth taking the time to read the lyrics which give clarity to the messages the band are trying to convey. One thing I will say though, I wish there were more of the ‘heavy bits’ across the album as when they do appear they hit hard and really give the songs some much appreciated oomph. But then again, I guess if they were used more regularly, they would lose their impact, something to think about at least. It’s deceptively simple with treasures aplenty waiting to be unearthed on repeat listens too which is something to be held aloft, overall, a great album and one which I highly recommend.
