The Choir - Translucent (Galaxy21) [Ambient]

The Choir are a long serving, genre fluid outfit, originally from L.A. but now based in Nashville with a fondness for fusing their post, indie and alt-rock tendencies and ambient endeavour to (other)worldly sonic ends. They're keeping it live, and real.

Their new album is an instrumental ambient minded affair that aims for the sofa dwellers and space cadets rather than the crowdsurfers, which makes it particularly TSMM suitable. The trio kick off the album with the initially sedate ambient drift of "Fire In The Heavens" which finally internally combusts with a cinematic growl. Next up is the woozy pastoral charms, rather curmudgeonly entitled, "You Don't Have To Smile" that drifts into the listening space like a warm, early summer breeze, aided by some light percussion that suggest you should pay attention rather than nod off in your hammock.

Don't get too comfortable though; the album sets a low gravity post-rock course next, the guitars peeking from behind their pedals for a couple of orbits around our blue planet, before jetting off into deeper, unknown galaxies during, "The Bravest Mind" - the percussive four/four hyperdrive propelling the end of track to the docking station and the refreshing ambient jazz of "Cool Black Water". And so the trio continue through far flung systems, occasionally adding some tellurian touches as with the ritualistic "Chariot Race", but mostly keeping their heads tilted upwards and out there. If live, slightly denser ambient music is your bag then tune in and take off.

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Playlist Companion

Find The Choir in the Slow Oddities Playlist.