Loving ... "Sol" by Oathless and Good Weather for an Airstrike

Collaborations are a double-edged sword ... sometimes they are brilliant - a real synergistic meeting of minds ... and other times they can be dull - one more thing built by a committee.

I am glad to say "Sol" ... the recent collaboration between Tom Honey aka Good Weather For An Airstrike & Simon Housley aka Oathless falls most definitely in the former camp.

"Sol" is tremendous ... the meeting of two really good musicians to craft something rather extraordinary. An EP that isn't GWFAA or Oathless ... but something else ... something more.

I am a fan of their solo work. Honey’s ambient / post-rock soundscapes are simply divine ... and Housley's cinematic expression really works for me too. I am also a fan of Damn Robot - Honey’s collaboration with his brother Rob Honey aka Inachus ... where Honey proves he has the chops to work with others.

What is brought to the table as "Sol" is not easily identifiable as either Honey or Housley's work ... it is something new ... it is the expression of their working together ... their synergy ... and I, for one, really like that about the release.

There are ambient soundscapes underpinning utterly delightful female vocals ... slightly disconcerting vocal samples over an acoustic guitar ... glitches and pops (that could be processes rain) over malevolent synths and sparse piano ... pulsing rhythms ... engaging melodies ... this EP is a delight.

The highlight of the EP, for me, is the opening track - "Omertà" - which features the sweet vocals of UK/Canadian singer Jamie Brett. It's more dreamy than anything else ... with sparse percussion, strange radio samples and the most delightful melody carried on the piano complementing & enhancing her vocal delivery.

But then the soulful percussion & haunting vocals of "Through the Iris" is up there challenging me for stand-out. It is so wonderfully hypnotic and dreamy. It is adorable and should be on ’Ghostly’ if I am honest rather than Honey’s Hawk Moon Records.

I’ll admit that their voyage into the dreampop realm caught me off-guard when I started listening to the EP but now it sounds so right. I guess it was my expectations that needed to change ... and when they did I saw the real breadth of Honey & Housley’s vision ... a vision I want more of.

I thoroughly enjoyed this EP ... so much so I bought the physical CDr. Musicians like Honey & Housley need all the support they can get.

Britain has got talent ... and it is NOT a dog.

Well done chaps.

Tx