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On their latest recording, Jon Short and
David Jones (a.k.a. deep sky divers) display
their versatility in navigating from the
calm waters of mellow piano-led instrumentals
to the blend of synth pop/chill-out that
has become the duo’s stock in trade
on albums such as Natural Power and Highlands
and Skylands. Still present, of course,
is the sterling production, flawless engineering,
and abundance of memorable hooks and flowing
melodies. Yet, Incandescent offers some
new twists along the way through its ten
tracks; these subtle evolutions reveal that
Short and Jones are still interested in
moving forward and not just repeating themselves.
In this way, they remind me of an artist
like Kevin Kendle in the way they stay familiar
enough to please their long time fans yet
“mature” to keep the interest
of jaded critics such as yours truly!
Par for the course with DSD (deep sky divers),
things start off with one of the best tracks
on the CD, that being the wonderful new
age pop/chill-out instrumental, “skylander.”
Opening with floating synth choirs and washes
of ambience, a percolating retro-EM texture
emerges before yielding to steady trap kit
drums and an echoed piano playing a deliciously
bouncy refrain while spacy sounds bounce
here and there in the soundfield, all wrapped
in lush strings. A classic deep sky divers’
cut that ranks up with their signature tune,
“raging calm,” in my opinion.
“momentum,” the next song, is
a mid tempo EM-fusion tune anchored in chugging
synth bass beats and more retro keyboard
tones, featuring a quavering lead melody
that admittedly takes some getting used
to (since it sounds a tad unintentional
but that is unlikely given this duo’s
predilection for engineering perfection).
“lost without you” is a mostly
solo piano number (with a brushing of strings
for texture), a short but sweet and sadly
nostalgic piece that rolls along at a slow
pace, like a walk through one’s memories
on a cloudy afternoon. “distant sound
of the sea” is a long (eleven minutes)
track that opens with gently melodic ambient
washes and Gamelan tones before melding
into a chill-out vein with subdued brush
cymbals, plucked string synths, and haunting
chorales. The Gamelan tones are something
new to DSD and I liked them a lot, as well
as the leisurely way this piece unwound,
eventually bringing more solid beats into
the picture to give the tune a slight lounge
feel, even though the mood is much more
somber than lounge music ever is.
Among the remaining pieces, some of my
favorites include the title track, a too
short (2 1/2 minutes) exploration of overt
electronic effects surrounded by a flowing
musical soundscape and piano; “parting
roads” (another short piece) which
features retro new age synth bells in the
service of a pensive low-key tune that combines
the bells with trap kit rhythms midway through
the piece; the high drama of “the boy
who was born to be king” (which reminded
me of the underrated CD by Philip Riley,
A Pattern of Lands) with a strong Irish
flavor (courtesy of low whistle) and powerful
percussion; and the album’s high point,
the 10 1/2 minute long “gradually becoming
cyclonic” (another one of those slowly
developing deep sky divers’ songs that
is a real pleasure to indulge in). The song
folds in a midtempo rhythm and serene chorales
before exploding with a dramatic lead synthesizer
line that soars and dips with a melody that
is both forlorn and powerful. For the final
section of the song, the background holds
a spoken word weather forecast (hence the
song’s title) while the foreground
sees the redevelopment of the more gentle
bell tones and synth washes, with a steady
but subdued beat underneath it all.
This is, I believe, the fourth deep sky
divers album I have reviewed and I have
never found their music to be anything but
engaging, accessible, warm and memorable.
Whether it’s soft and gentle or packed
with pop polish and power, Jon Short and
David Jones wield their myriad keyboards,
synths, and other instruments like master
painters would use their colors on a blank
canvas. Incandescent shines both brightly
and softly, depending on the track, but
always the music is illuminating music which
is wholly enjoyable. I solidly recommended
the album.
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