The latest release on Home Normal is the final part of a trilogy from the duo Silent Vigils. ‘Wake’ is an appropriate coda for the trilogy, with luscious soundscapes that absorb the listener. There’s no tricks or strings pulled – just uplifting sounds.
The album clocks in at just under 40-minutes with four songs, each blending seamlessly into one another. There’s nothing that jolts the listener from the immersion, the experience of listening is akin to that of a sensory deprivation tank. Some landmarks are given, some familiar sounds, but never enough to grasp onto. The title track opens the album with swells that keep building but never overwhelm – these swells then rescind into the basis of the next track. ‘Mokugomi’ has a similar structure, with what sounds like powerful synth pads, the track leaves an impression.
‘Munhitsu’ is the darkest track of the album, it begins as measured pulsations which then smooth out to provide a flickering light. The track leaves the listener primed for the album’s final song. Concluding ‘Wake’, and Silent Vigils’ trilogy, ‘Unborn’ asks for the most patience of the listener out of the four tracks, but is also the most rewarding. The sounds are subtle and it’s the quietest song of the album but ’Unborn’ blooms three-fourths of the way through, ending the album with luscious, bright sounds.
Malgorzata Lapsa-Malawska provides the album’s artwork, as she did Silent Vigils’ previous two albums, and it does justice as a visual counterpoint. The artwork doesn’t force any particular interpretation while perfectly capturing the feeling that Silent Vigils create.
‘Wake’ is an honest album, it lays its cards on the table and asks the listener if they’d like a glimmer of hope.