Delay Trees began this year with a bang – maybe even with some Fireworks in the Woods* – as the celebrations began for the release of the band’s latest album Readymade. (*See what I did there? If not, read on and maybe all will become clear, or maybe it won’t.)
A new year, full of promise yet with a blank diary and an expanse of emptiness ahead of me. What should I do? Well, I turned my thoughts to Finland as I stumbled across some delightful new sounds being streamed in advance of their official release.
It was therefore with great joy that I spent the first weekend of this two thousand and fourteenth year surrounded by the swirling sounds of Readymade, the new album from Delay Trees that was released on 10 January by Soliti. This Finnish foursome immediately instilled in me a sense of serenity, as well as hopefulness and excitement for the year ahead.
Sparkling amalgamation
The last time we heard from Delay Trees was with the EP Doze (for which we shared a luistertip here); that was released back in 2012. Fast-forward a couple of years, we find the band in fine fettle with an album that has a familiar air yet also has reached a level of maturity – not as in ‘old and jaded’ maturity, more like – here are a bunch of songs that were always meant to be together, here and now, having amalgamated into this sparkling, brand new album. The chrysalis stage is over, the beautiful butterfly can emerge.
After a short intro, we are treated to the magnificent Fireworks, with frontman Rami telling us over and over ‘But it’s not enough’. Which is good, because there is more to come. On this record, there are sparkling dream-pop songs, like the aforementioned Fireworks and the first single (which was released late last year) Perfect Heartache. There is post-rock reverb with pounding drums aplenty – both Steady and The Howl build to a crescendo of noise, nice noise at that. And then you have the glorious floatiness of Woods (‘now I’ve lost myself’) and beautiful frozen wastelands of Big Sleep, with The Atlantic finishing it all off perfectly.
Weird sensations
This is an album where the sounds fit together. It makes sense. It makes me grateful. And it makes me want more. I am hopeful this is the year that I will (finally) get to see the full glory of the Delay Trees in person. And in the meantime, Readymade can stay with me, like a beloved comfort blanket, filling my heart with fireworks. I read somewhere that, according to the band, this album might leave you ‘overwhelmed with emotions with weird sensations in the heart’. You have been forewarned.
Delay Trees website
Delay Tress Facebook
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Readymade – Released 10 January 2014:
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