Yes! It’s finally here! It’s been far, far too long since the last full length release by The Raft but here we are with Abloom, a gorgeous flowering of Phil Wilson’s brand of summer-y dreampop. Phil’s gift is writing songs perfect for long afternoon’s in a beer garden with bottle after bottle of fruity cider…
The reason for this being that Phil’s songs inhabit a golden hued world delicately balanced between joy and melancholy.
‘Light Light’ opens the track a little gloomily, rippling like a wraiths ankle socks. It’s a cathedral at dusk with Ride at the pulpit. Near the 3 minute mark light (light) is allowed to enter, with a classic shining Raft surge of sweeteners. The curtain is dropped, the walls fall.
‘The Boy With No Soul’ really kicks us off with it’s laid back reminiscence of New Order’s “Regret”. Hmm… if you could bottle the feeling of a festival in summer it would sound like this. If bottles made sounds. Whatever, vibes don’t have to make sense. Guitars make like ripened fruit on the edge of turning sour.
‘Open Up Your Heart’ is more riff-y, like something off a New Wave CD compilation. This showcases a classic Phil chorus, resplendent with backing vocals.
‘The Morning Light’ sinks in quicksand, as life flows in aftermath.
‘Joab’ (I keep thinking it’s called ‘Jump’ too) is pure early 90s. This would slide easily into a breezy comedy movie of the era. Something set in California where the main character drives a VW Beetle.
‘Xanadu’ bursts like every memory of better times, moments of glory played out on a big screen. The spoken word section, slightly too quiet to hear, tickles at you like a memory you can’t place.
‘She Floats’ twangs like a shoegaze spaghetti western and launches into another simple, bold chorus. By the time we hit a guitar solo that’s nearly power ballad territory we’re all seduced.
‘Louie And Julie’ is more jaunty, half sea shanty and half shaggy dog story.
The Raft glisten and glow, beguile and bewitch. Things in your life not going so well… Abloom will lift you up a while.
But in this world, everything rises, everything comes back around, a lot like The Raft.
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