Sail By Summer – ‘Facing Dullness’: Single Review

by | Music Reviews, New Music

Sail by Summer might be our new Scandi-favourites.
‘Facing Dullness’, the latest track from the duo, comes during what seems to be another booming period for Scandinavian indie folk (see also our Tilde Hjelm review from last year). With a sound that they describe as ‘modern and organic’, Norwegian William Hut and Dane Jens Christian released their first single ‘Low Tide Exit’ towards the end of 2018, with ‘Facing Dullness’ arriving shortly after.

Their second single incorporates more of a pop style, with a syncopated keyboard intro before the reverberating guitar and drums join the mix. It’s a wistful, yet hope-inspiring song, and you can see why Hut has won a Grammy for his work in the past. Hut’s vocals match the raw vulnerability of the song, with the lyrics a testament to days wiled away facing a vast expanse of openness: ‘Out of the blue, into the wild / Collecting hours in this precious game.’
…a testament to days wiled away facing a vast expanse of openness.
There’s a likeness to Villagers in Sail by Summer’s style, probably down to their ability to meld ballad-esque song construction with catchy hooks. The pair cite the mountains and fjords of Western Scandinavia as the inspiration for their song-writing, and it’s true that you could easily see their work as a soundtrack to the resurgence of nature in Spring (we’re still holding out for this in Berlin).

You can check out ‘Facing Dullness’ on all the usual channels right now, as well as brand new single ‘Casual Drive’.

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