There is something not quite right with reviewing this album in the middle of spring. It’s almost a little awkward, listening to these tracks tucked away in my quiet, dim room and then walking outside into a landscape absorbed by the sunshine - a little ironic, in fact.

Seawards, being Sickoakes true full length debut after an onslaught of demos, belongs rather to the months of winter and her cold, sad days; an epidemic laced bleakness and solitude. I mean this in the most complimentary of ways. Any release that can shift your perception and upset your equilibrium is bound to be packed with absolute atmosphere and Sickoakes have perfected this with a mittened punch. All this seems fitting, perhaps, given the Swedish origin of this ghostly soundtrack.

Do you remember watching those “scary” movies growing up - the ones where some prepubescent character always ended up going to bed in the eeriest of rooms, with shadows dancing across the walls, and monsters scratching at the mattress? You know, the ones where a rat-a-tat-tat would clatter across the bedroom window, and the little boy (infused with fear) would quickly ball himself up under the sheets, while it was revealed to the viewers with nails nearing bite, the unnerving noise stemmed from nothing but the old Elm tree outside. It was something we knew all along, but were unconsciously pulled into given the atmosphere of the film. In a nutshell, it’s similar to how this album works: predictable, yet haunting and sometimes even a little spine-chilling.

Musically, Sickoakes use a familiar formula, building brooding layers of subdued strings over percussion, and subtly increasing volume and intensity over long stretches of track, streaming in the occasional glockenspiel or spoken feed that heightens the sentiment. After reaching an ominous, yet poignant apex, of which there are only a handful on the disc, the songs slowly ease back into a vacant and droning ambiance which gently swarms around you and lulls you into its peculiar rhythm. It works. And while not the most technical approach in the instrumental genre, given the proper environment or mood, Seawards will put your mind in a choke-hold and keep it there until you are completely dazed and numbed by its relentless, yet delicate, moody pursuits.

These seven tracks are the perfect companion on a foggy night as you drift down the empty streets, their sound incubating in the constraints of your vehicle, almost encouraging you to take a wrong turn somewhere; to lose your bearings and symmetry with the world around you. They will implore you to listen, to float, and hope that the sun remains hidden behind the horizon for at least a few more tracks.

--Jonathan Brooks