Five years after the release of their debut album Everything Touching, U.K. indie-rock band Tall Ships has returned with a newfound clarity.
The time they took to step away from their music pushed them to pursue other outlets of expression and to reflect on their inspirations as songwriters. Evidently, the break paid off; Impressions shows a more collected, coherent version of Tall Ships. Frontman Ric Phethean explained to DIY Magazine, “[time off] meant that the songs that we wrote after the initial ideas fell away weren’t as forced and better as a result.”
Throughout these nine songs, there’s a sense of transformation and reinvention. Impressions is an ode to change, proof that the band is providing a welcome invitation to second impressions. As Phethean said, the songs are less forced. The easy melodies and soaring vocals make that release of tension within the band’s creative process even more evident. Tall Ships spent much of 2013 touring Ireland with the National, an experience that clearly impacted the way the then-newcomers composition. Opening track “Road Not Taken” and “Lost & Found,” both recall the atmospheric, exalted presence of the National’s Trouble Will Find Me.
Tall Ships have turned inward to find inspiration in the most personal, sometimes deprecating experiences. Impressions spans a wide range of emotional horizons, from the crushing anxiety of "Meditations on Loss" to the cautiously hopeful "Home." Tall Ships now have the capacity to weave thoughtful narratives through spacious soundscapes never before heard on their previous work. This bold, introspective collection of songs shows the band found self-assurance in unpredictability.
Impressions is out now via FatCat Records. Catch the stunning video for "Meditations on Loss" below!
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