Starfall

Dublin-based string trio Slow Moving Clouds hit the mark with their 2015 debut, Os, a melding of delicate, warm melodies, minimalist lines and austere ballads and dances. The band's sound was both raw and soaring, and, thankfully, it still is on follow-up Starfall. An unearthly bittersweet mist hangs over this music, from the dancing fiddle (played by Danny Diamond, the star here) and trailing falsetto vocals on the beautiful ‘Downfall of Paris’ or the whispering, circular ‘Droghedy’, both of which build slowly and then subside. Playing alongside Diamond is cellist Kevin Murphy and Finnish nyckelharpa player Aki, whose keyed fiddle sometimes deliciously clashes, texturally, with Diamond's fiddle, as on ‘Muunnos’. These three instruments, together with vocals and much reverb, create a very special sound-world. The combination has drawn comparisons to the spectral sounds of Nordic indie bands like Sigur Rós and several tracks here, especially ‘Swansong/Starfall’, do lean more that way than previously. But the trio's experimental heart, and love of drones, halting riffs and baroque mannerisms offer a healthy counter-balance, and Starfall is much more than the sum of its parts.