Three years on since their last album, home-grown London group My Sad Captains return with their new ten piece record, Sun Bridge, lighting their way into a new ambient indie sound that you can truly melt into.

An atmospheric instrumental opening of ‘Early Rivers’ sets the record into motion and, through a series of dripping synth and overarching keys, captures an ethereal sound excellently before leading into ‘Everything At The End Of Everything’ which introduces us to the enticing vocal diversity of guitarist/singer, Ed Wallis. Ed’s tones are hushed but hold a delightfully psychedelic nature to them, the underlying pulsing bassline keeps the track feeling tight and driven and, as the chorus kicks in, the song develops into a fully fledged explosion of colour and character. Summer may be over for this year, but this track could easily fool you otherwise through its warming vibes and feel good aura.

My Sad Captains have definitely mastered the art of less is more and stick to this throughout the entire record. With each instrument meeting the desired mark that it was intended to perform. The bubbling synths, liquid-sounding guitars and absolutely phenomenal harmony work within ‘New Sun’ are fantastic and supply the edge that keeps My Sad Captains standing out amongst a genre which is easy to slip into the generic.

A personal highlight comes in the form of ‘Curtain Calls’, the soothing nature of the song induces a near dreamlike state and, once again, the airy backing harmonies create a sound that is truly something special, transporting the listener to a near celestial status. Despite the smooth pacing of the track, it still holds enough of a kick through tight snares and intricate guitars that will get heads moving. Likewise, Ed’s vocals hold a distinct, unmistakable retro feel to them which grants yet another layer of warmth and inherent summer feeling to the listen, this is definitely one that will get you feeling nostalgic and wanting to get outside.

The longer instrumental numbers such as ‘Destination Memory’ and ‘Wintersweep’ at first appear rather menacing in the album’s line up, both clocking around the seven minute mark. However, each adds a definitely needed spark to the album and keeps the variation feeling fresh throughout, these kind of tracks have a tendency to appear as filler but, in this case, both instead act as a delightful addition and keep the diversity of the record flowing, acting as solid benchmarks for the other tracks to bounce off of.

Sun Bridge is definitely a record that will bring My Sad Captains a lot of attention. If you’ve never heard their name before, now is the time to get on board, as they’re a band who are more than worth your time. Sun Bridge is a colourful collective of some great chilled out music that you’ll be able to keep coming back to again and again without feeling underwhelmed. The winter may be settling in, but My Sad Captains are always there in helping relieve any seasonal affective tendencies you may be encountering. If you’re seeking a fresh new sound that will make you forget your troubles, these guys may be the one for you.

Ben Walker

Website: mysadcaptains.co.uk
Facebook: facebook.com/mysadcaptains
Twitter: twitter.com/mysadcaptains