Posted on: August 20, 2015 Posted by: Caitlin Comments: 0

Oft full of the traditional sensibilities of pop, ‘Eyedom’ sees this supergroup noticeably delve into deeper territory with plentiful layering, perturbing basslines, and hauntingly sparse arrangements.

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This, their third album, sees the band mature both in sound and creativity having taken their unique approach of spontaneity and intensity to another level – originating from the band’s very foundation and continuously pushing them forward to discover places you never knew existed.

Entering the studio without a single lyric or note written, We Came As Strangers surpassed their recent Kickstarter campaign target, and subsequently piled into the studio for a fortnight of intense collaboration, before departing with third record ‘Eyedom’ realised in-full.

Spontaneity is the name of the game here, previous albums ‘Shattered Matter’ (2014) and ‘Recipe For Adventure’ (2013) came to life in precisely the same way.

It’s this unique approach to being in a band that fuels their passion for creativity – being revered industry professionals in their own right is not without limitation. Yet, as a collective, We Came As Strangers rises above that with boundary-pushing melody and layer upon layer of soulful, intimate-sounding tracks that portray an unparalleled sense of chemistry between members that becomes more apparent and absorbing with every listen.

The album opener and title track is solemn and meditative, breaking into ‘Stupid Things’ via dominating bass amid pensive instrumentals. Recent single ‘Still Life’ is a highlight, further into the record ‘Recess’takes on an oriental atmosphere with distorted guitar and edgy bass layered over brooding trip-hop beats and strings.

Every song as diverse as the next, ‘High Coming Down’ is as mysterious yet alluring as the sweet caress of delicate rain and album closer ‘Carousel’ is a heavily percussive number featuring retro licks of guitar.

Pioneers of thought-provoking and ardent sounds, We Came As Strangers’ ‘Eyedom’ is a chaptered companion of exploratory tracks from the hearts of all four accomplished members, and living proof of a band at the peak of its game.

Fans can pre-order ‘Eyedom’ on iTunes, and will receive recent single ‘Still Life’ as an instant gratis download:

We Came As Strangers Introduction

Originally coming together as an experimental project away from each of the quartet’s leviathan collection of professional endeavours, We Came As Strangers’ is a complete execution of creative freedom in its most literal sense.

“I wanted to do a proper band where we all write the songs and are all involved in production,” says Justin Sandercoe. “And we did go into it as strangers, I’d worked a bit with everyone but the rest of the band hadn’t met each other before.”

Guitarist Justin Sandercoe counts Queen’s Bryan May and Steve Vai among his fans, having been described as “one of the most influential guitar teachers in history” by The Independent and helming a YouTube channel that’s clocked up over 210 million views.

Bassist Tim Harries has had his deft grooves used by the likes of Brian Eno and David Holmes, as well as performing alongside Sandercoe with Katie Melua.

Singer Ellem’s sharp and sweet vocal sits between Ellie Goulding’s vocal athletics and Adele’s power‐warble, has already gained global recognition for her version of The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ recorded for Converse in Brooklyn, and also for her music’s placement in a plethora of film and TV, including About A Boy and Grey’s Anatomy.

Completing the line-up, Owen Thomas, meanwhile, has channeled his pop sensibilities fused with his extensive work on TV and film soundtracks into a uniquely layered production sound that falls somewhere between ‘90s trip‐hop, slide guitar-smeared Americana and sparse acoustic sensibilities.

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