Sailplanes - A Second, Or Ten Years Later

by Lisa Holmes

The owl and the pussycat went to sea - IN A SAILPLANE

"One of Sailplanes' strengths is the timeless nature of their music, there is no definitive trend here, instead the songs jump from decade to decade as easily as they change time signatures"

This three-piece from London are self-confessed makers of ‘noisy experimental music’. It’s a fair description for what could variously be described as music that draws on everthing from Pixies to The Promise Ring via early 90’s indie and a smidgen of grunge. Female vocalist Stacey Hine has a voice that is instantly familiar, although it would seem that lyrics are not Sailplanes top priority; they often abandon vocals altogether in favour of some guitar-based meandering.

Clocking in at just under 20 minutes this is a short debut album by anyone’s standard but it is packed with eight good songs. Opener ‘Strangers’ is like a really heavy and slightly angry lost Cure track, remixed by The Horrors. It sounds like he’s singing about the dangers of a "penis tree" but that may just be selective hearing on NN's part. It is in stark contrast to the final track on the record, the interminably boring and indulgent ‘Bluegrass Song’.

‘Violent Storm’ is pure Kim vs. Frank; a hurricane of guitars, minimalist lyrics and some great two part harmonies, it is short and sharp and does exactly what it says on the tin. The new wave 80’s vibe of the next track ‘Indifference’ is another Cure classic with Tim Webster taking lead vocals. He’s no Robert Smith and veers more towards the Mark E Smith school of singing but it’s a decent effort however and adds a little bit more attitude to proceedings. Ultimately no two tracks are the same, true to the same DIY ethos that has seen Sailplanes promote themselves online and via their own Redheaded Stepchild Records.

One of Sailplanes' strengths is the timeless nature of their music, there is no definitive trend here, instead the songs jump from decade to decade as easily as they change time signatures. Hopefully this means now is their time but it’s a safe bet this will still sound fresh in ten years' time. Sailplanes sound like a toy that Ralph Wiggum would build himself out of twigs and leaves, but we think it’s a good bet that they can fly.

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