65daysofstatic – Wild Light

The Light At the End of the Tunnel

Instrumental four piece 65daysofstatic have returned with their sixth studio album, Wild Light, and to be straight, the lights are indeed pretty lustrous throughout these eight tracks. And even though it might be a superficial thing, one can almost get excited merely on the names of these tracks alone. And though these four from Sheffield, England have already shown a flair for song titling in the past, when you read titles like, “Sleepwalk City” and “Heath Death Infinity Splitter,” you’re bound to feel a little intrigued the possibilities Wild Light has to offer your listening ear, yes?

Of course, all sizzle and no steak will get you little here, but these four work out many equally intriguing arrangements across the record. The longest track on the record, “Blackspots” sits dead center in the album and provides a thrilling sonic adventure with its synth swells and blasting guitar flourishes. Like any longer showpiece on a record, it seems to crystallize many of the better elements which surround it on the album, moving through moods and modes that are echoed elsewhere.

Still, range is so important to electronic music, but as 65daysofstatic are obviously a seasoned unit, this is never really a problem. “Prisms” is, for the most part, a straight dance track with its synth hits and infectious jittery beat, whereas “Safe Passage” has more of a foreboding air about it, but nonetheless, they both equally fit the diverse set of moods this album offers. Likewise, the aforementioned “Heat Death Infinity Splitter” and “Sleepwalk City” provide other vibrant strands of light to the bigger picture.

In truth, nothing here is positively breaking the mold in terms of genre or aesthetic, but in the end, not everything needs to be. Each composition here is unshakably solid and interesting, and never lacks in intensity, even when the tempos or style changes.