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Giantsky — Giant Sky II
(Bandcamp Imaginary Friend Records IFM002, 2023, 2CD / 2LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-08-12

Giant Sky II Cover art

Giantsky is the name that Oslo-based musician Erlend Viken gives to his progressive rock project. I missed the debut album, which came out in 2021, but here we have Giant Sky II, released at the end of 2023. Viken also leads a band called Soup, which I’ve not heard. In Giantsky, he is responsible for vocals, keyboards, guitars, and “everything else,” with help from a variety of other singers and instrumentalists. The most notable contributions are on flute (Ivan Ushakov), church organ (Vegard Bjerkan), and lap steel (Rhys Marsh). The album begins with a quiet, moody little piece for church organ called “Origin of Species,” then works into “Imposter,” which has a busy acoustic guitar strumming, a touch of banjo, and steady but unobtrusive drums. Viken’s vocals trade off with Marina Skanche, who is backed by delicate synthesizers. In some ways, the song reminds me of something you might hear from Arcade Fire. “Speak Through Walls” moves into gentle acoustic territory with acoustic guitar and piano backing singer Charlotte Stav, along with strings and synths; it’s nearly five minutes in before drums and bass enter and the song goes out on a melodic space rock groove with a grittier vocal from Viken. This track and several others have a definite hint of post-rock in them, starting quietly and building in intensity over the course of five to seven minutes, but each one alters the formula, using different combinations of instruments to assemble each section. Other tracks are imbued with a variety of moods and sounds, making Giant Sky II a most enjoyable listen. “I Am the Night” is the longest track, stretching over ten minutes, and it’s the Giantsky aesthetic writ large, with a first half constructed of lovely acoustic guitar, piano, and vocals, evoking thoughts of Camel, Pink Floyd, and others, and a dramatic second half that builds to epic proportions a bit like Porcupine Tree around the time of The Sky Moves Sideways. In spite of the fact that the album is available as a 2CD set, the music would have easily fit on a single disc, so fear not that it will overstay its welcome — the length is enough to accomplish what it needs to without lingering beyond. There’s a lot of great music here, and I highly recommend the album for fans of progressive, psychedelic, and space rock.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Rhys Marsh, Giantsky (Erlend Viken)

More info
http://giantskyband.bandcamp.com/album/giant-sky-ii

 

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