By John Saeger
You probably have not heard a band like Another Sky before. If anything, you at least have not listened to a voice that sounds like Catrin Vincent. The U.K. art rock band has a unique blend of sound and defiance that places their debut record, I Slept On The Floor, in a league of its own.
Another Sky came together as they were studying at Goldsmiths University in London (the same college as John Cale and James Blake). Their distinct sound integrates elements of early Coldplay and Arcade Fire. Fans of similar avante-garde bands should at least be intrigued by their style. As listeners unwrap I Slept On The Floor, they will suspend any preconceptions of what a traditional front woman sounds like.
The U.K. has produced a slew of dynamic women singers over the last ten to fifteen years. Adele, Florence Welch, Hannah Reid, Celeste, Romy Croft, and Ellie Rowsell are just a few of the amazing artists who contribute to a flourishing British music scene. Catrin Vincent joins their ranks with a style that sounds more like a young man going through puberty than the singer of a rock band. Her voice, however, is far from a gimmick. Through her style, Vincent places significant attention on her words that add to the band’s music.
The result gives the band a primal intimacy that mostly coincides with lush arrangements. There is an occasional wonderful clash in their collective sound that drives home lyrics like,
“All hail the age of chaos,
Winters of heat and loneliness.
Is it enough that we tried to see the void,
Give pain a voice?”
Those words, found in “The Cracks,” are one of a few leftovers from previous work included in their debut. Parts of I Slept On The Floor came out in preceding EPs that felt incomplete. The artistry of Another Sky demanded more. Their ingrained boldness paints them as a band with something to say beyond a few songs. Another Sky are an album group in an age where music is leaning (slightly) away from the format.
Far from a one-trick act that relies on Vincent’s singularity, I Slept On The Floor gets better after the first listen. Its dynamism truly comes through at the midway point of the record. After reminding listeners that she was “Still here, still happening” in the grueling ballad “Life Was Coming In Through The Blinds,” Another Sky follows up with the intricate “Tree.” The balance shows that the band can incorporate range around their singer.
The sum of the band’s work in I Slept On The Floor builds on what they have produced to date. Their first record cements their status as one of the most intriguing bands in music. An inclination towards driving rhythms and power bass sections allows the group to remain accessible while giving listeners something to ponder. There are not a lot of artists that sound like Another Sky, so catch them as they expand on one of the more exciting new band frameworks in music.
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About the Author: John Saeger is a music and film writer from Philadelphia. Since 2017 he has been writing his pop-culture blog Long After Dark, a site dedicated to the arts in the City
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