ALBUM REVIEW: Sun Of Other Days – Tryst Arcane

Maltese duo TRYST ARCANE have collaborated with HEMPLIFIER guitarist Emanuel Portelli to create a concept album called Sun Of Other Days. The record itself aims to act as a reflection on the summer days spent on Maltese beaches during their childhood whilst focusing on experimentation of different genres like folk and synth, all of which results in a record that on the one hand is atmospheric and haunting, but on the other is calming and feels comforting.

With the record only being five songs long, all of which span at least six minutes in length, each track seems to act as a separate homage to moments littered throughout their childhood spent on the coast – nostalgia about more simpler times. On the outside, one might feel unsettled with the range of dark styles heard throughout, yet it feels comforting and brings you in. And if you’re familiar with the setting, well, you just immediately know what it all means.

Opening with the title track, the first thing the listener hears is quiet waves accompanied by whispers that at first leave you slightly on edge, but shortly you find yourself in awe of how beautiful everything sounds, especially when the dark guitar comes in. You find yourself feeling calm, as if in a meditative state; even when the style shifts into a moodier atmosphere accompanied by the sounds of crickets, you feel at ease.

Each track on the album can be easily summarised as above, yet each song offers different qualities that allow them to stand out. Whether it’s the beautiful vocals and piano heard on August Reveries, the synths that give Dissolution a mysterious quality, or the usage of beach sounds and violins in Through Dimensions, Through Horizons, you find yourself at peace. The only criticism would be the strange pitching synths used in the previously mentioned song that feel incredibly out of place and, frankly, are unpleasant to listen to. But it’s all easily forgiven when we get to LURA which beautifully rounds off the album with haunting vocals and piano that can be described in one word: stunning.

Haunting yet beautiful – a phrase that constantly comes to mind when listening to each song on Sun Of Other Days. It makes you wish that you could’ve spent your childhood on Maltese beaches if this is what the atmosphere was like. Aside from some odd synth moments, this would be the perfect thing to put on for a meditation session.

Rating: 7/10

Sun Of Other Days is set for release on August 11th via self-release.

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