By Monk
It should perhaps be no surprise that Nephila very much plough the depths of the psychedelia-meets-retro-blues-rock mien that dominates the NWoCR movement, as this new project is very much built around members of Children Of The Sun who, as their name might suggest, have followed a very similar path for quite some time now.
Nephila bring a very expansive sound to the (turn)table, which also should be no surprise, as there are seven members in the band, including twin female vocalists, who bring an additional layer of harmonization which in turn emphasizes of much of the ethereality of their particular take on the space rock vibe. The result is an entrancing and mystical musical soundscape which melds elements of heavy blues, proto-metal, folk and prog into a seamless, flowing singular entity that in turns eases over you like a cooling summer breeze and then has you unconsciously nodding along to the heavier segments.
At its lightest (such as on ‘Belladonna’, which also possesses a suitably underlying acidity to its tonality), ‘Nephila’ soars and sweeps like an eagle searching for its prey, while at its heaviest (such as current single ‘Guidance To Agony’ or tracklisted followed-up ‘Clavata’) it manages to display a deftness of touch that deceives, adding to the entrancement of the densities it weaves against the aerodynamic smoothness of the overall sound.
If you’re looking for musical reference points, there are plenty to touch base upon, from Jefferson Airplane to Jethro Tull, early Rush to transition-era Fleetwood Mac and modern comparators such as Blues Pills and Jess And The Ancient Ones. It is an album which manages to effortlessly combine stylistic influences easily and in a way which do not clash with one another, but actually complemented each diverse element, as displayed on the likes of ‘Belladonna’, with its Stevie Nicks-evoking vocal sections, and the epic closer ‘Alla Galaxers Centrum’, which starts out as a dreamy, country-tinged drifter before punching through with a heavy-ass bass line and fuzzed-out dual guitar sound that reminds of the likes of the Allman Brothers, especially in the final section.
Yep, this is one of those albums that undoubtedly will find its way onto the summertime playlists here at ÜRHQ, especially if the good weather holds long enough for us to fire up the rusty old barbecue lying in the corner.
- ‘Nephila’ is released on Friday (4 June). You can get your copy HERE.
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