Sky Diving Penguins Album Review

skydiving penguins.com

As someone fortunate enough to get a listen of Sky Diving Penguins' album coming out on Bandcamp on Dec 1st I thought I might tell you in words what your ears will be blessed with in a fortnight.

I Don’t Want, I Don’t Care

If you follow me on Twitter, you already know what I think of this track. I had this cranked up in my studio and it will always sound epic. Every detail in this track is sublime. Whatever that hypersonic reversed kazoo embellishment is in the breakdown, that sort of quirkiness is the sort of motif that makes albums like this a classic.

Seratonin

This is powerful. The dynamics and stops in this song are absolutely brilliant. Beck Hansen brilliant.

This is Breaking Me Apart

Beautiful and understated. The drop out back to a 'pock pock pock' sound at the end is genius. I guessed it was a ping pong ball with the transient wiped. I wanted a biscuit if I was right. I was wrong

Hating Waiting

This is beautiful. The Rickenbacker Liverpool-sound Bass and the Mellotron strings. Hat tips to Abbey Road are not so strong that a purist would frown at them. They are absolutely spot on. This, like ‘I Don’t Want, I Don’t Care’, is the sort of song writing that very few achieve. Genius if you don’t mind me saying. I hope the Penguins are very proud.

Run Boy

The hard panned stereo intro is superb. Really worked. Great lyric. I loved the female voice revealed at the end. It made me smile. This is a great pop song.

About One Hermit

This track is so well balanced. The intimate acoustic that just explodes into the choruses. Then the cello and French horn begin their duel in a similar way to ‘I don’t want..’ - I welcomed that in to my heart with joy. This would make a 6 music A list in a heartbeat if you found the person to get it on there. Bravo.

All Goes Back in the Box in the End

So I’ve got this blasting out of a pair of decent studio monitors and the sub bass on that flappy kick sounds lush. The whole room shook in a good way. I’m hoping that the average Bluetooth speaker or car stereo manages such transparency too.

Depressed of Bored

Loved this. The slide solo was a particular highlight.

Headache Will Cause Migranes

Totally get how the sound of the muffled acoustic is the throb motif. This is an excellent track. Pavement. Mogwai. Husker Dü ?

Trippin

Another great track. It trips. Great mix. The only song where I was found wanting. I wanted them to go on for another few minutes and totally rock out.

Go get the album when it comes out. It's brilliant.