School Of
Seven Bells

‘Alpinisms’

(Ghostly  Records)

Musical forces are constantly and inextricably juxtaposed within School Of Seven Bells’ iridescent spectrum. At once somnolent and psychedelic, surrealist and sane, the

New York outfit provide an altogether more schizophrenic illustration permeating the Big Apple’s underbelly. Like the steam that ghosts an upward trail from the city sewers, songs such as ‘Connjur’ and ‘Chain’ hypnotise as much as they asphyxiate, while sublime highlight ‘Half Asleep’ feels like the Manhattan air hitting your face atop the Empire State, carrying with it all the garbled music of a city’s night-time romance. Comprising former Secret Machines guitarist Benjamin Curtis and indentical twins Claudia and Alejandra Deheza’s ethereal tandem vocals, SOSB strike a near-perfect balance between the structured and the sublime.

Stephen Brolan