Landfall EP Review

Wellington alt-country group Sky Village’s debut EP at first seems quite straightforward but on repeated listens the many subtle nuances and depth contained within its six songs start to become more apparent, and to be honest if you don’t listen to this repeatedly you’re doing yourself, and the recording, a disservice.

When you delve into this album with the attention it deserves you’ll uncover a musical richness, which stems from the combined experience of the four talented musicians involved in producing it; although guitarist and vocalist Michael Taylor can take credit for writing the songs on the EP he’s gathered a fine group of musicians to support the songs, with Deane Hunter on guitar, and Craig McDougall and Michael Allen on the rhythm section (drums and bass, respectively). The band has spent the past couple of years playing at bars and café’s around Wellington, and the connection that’s formed between them as a result is evident throughout the EP.

While the ‘alt-country’ tag the band label themselves with may put some people off, the emphasis here is on the alt, and not so much the country; think country-influenced, not country-driven, with the soft, laid back vocals of Michael Taylor giving it a distinctive melancholy feel. This is a collection of songs that aren’t in a hurry, but instead unwind themselves over the course of a few minutes, meandering along and letting the arrangements speak for themselves.

The standouts for me would have to be the haunting second track A Sad City Song (which is pretty much as the title would suggest it is), and the more driving In The Heart of Wolves, which sees the band move in a slightly different direction, leaning more towards a roots feel.