Adrift for Days - _The Lunar Maria_
(Independent, 2010)
by: Aly Hassab El Naby (5 out of 10)
Sydney quintet Adrift for Days has all the comfort of a band that seems to believe that their album's duration is not more than a result of a simple mathematical procedure. Their debut album _The Lunar Maria_ goes well beyond the hour mark, seventy-one minutes to be exact, with an amalgamation of stoner rock, psychedelia, post-rock and doom. At one point, I was reminded of that pleasant feeling one gets when listening to Clutch, while at another point, the dark and twisted refrains of Neurosis came over me. This is a band that obviously enjoys taking its time building up its songs, like the opener "Bury All That's Chosen", which takes four minutes to go from first to second gear. Another thing that proves their disregard towards time is the album's eleven minute closer "Waveform Collapse", which is just a continuous sound-wave that's stuck on infinite feedback.

Yet as complex as this mixture may sound, the album's construction comes off as its most questionable aspect. Calling it a hastily put together record would be far from the truth, but there are a few things that awkwardly stand out. The sound of the drums, particularly the toms, might have needed some extra work before the mixing phase. The bass guitar is another thing that could have really benefited from extra production time. Having it lost, for the most part, amidst the clutter and the distorted guitars is a drawback. Epic works like "Messages Through Sleep" and "Along the Moon River" won't really have the listener nitpicking thanks to their coherent ambiance, but the rest of their counterparts didn't really live up to that standard.

The production of _The Lunar Maria_ is what could make or break the deal for the casual listener. This definitely isn't for anyone who enjoys a few crisp riffs and clearly sung lyrics. It is in fact an acquired taste; a taste that slowly reveals more of its beauty the longer it stays with the listener. All in all, Adrift for Days is a promising act that pays enough attention to its music but may benefit from increasing the attention devoted to how they produce more of it in the future.

Contact: http://www.myspace.com/adriftfordays

(article published 8/12/2010)


ALBUMS
29/7/2012 A El Naby 7 Adrift for Days - Come Midnight...
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