Tall Ships - Petrichor

Tall Ships’ transition from tight, rigid, loop pedal utilising math-peddlers to the free-flowing indie rock band they now take the shape of has been a gradual one. ‘Gallop’, from the band’s 2012 debut album ‘Everything Touching’, was the first sign of the band shooting for a widescreen sound, and it’s a journey that gained momentum through ‘Will To Life’ and ‘Meditations On Loss’, the band’s latest two singles.

It all comes together on ‘Petrichor’, the next cut to be lited from second album ‘Impressions’. The track’s hurtled forward by a torrent of drums and guitars that carry the force of a runaway train, and at once it’s the sound of release and relief, with a sometimes excruciating five-year wait vanishing, while also showing vocalist Ric Phethean at his calmest and most composed. He sings “please forgive me for my boring stories / I never felt that much at all,” at odds with his previous, hyper-emotional self. “I know it’s time for change,” he whispers, before the track erupts, and ‘Petrichor’ serves as a milestone for the band. It’s their finest moment to date.